Preah Vihear: The Ancient Hindu Temple at the Center of Thailand-Cambodia Border Tensions
The Preah Vihear temple, an 11th-century Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva, remains a flashpoint for border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand. Located atop a cliff in the Dangrek Mountains, the temple's sovereignty was awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 1962, a ruling reaffirmed in 2013. However, disputes over the surrounding 4.6 sq km of land persist, leading to periodic military skirmishes, most recently in July 2025. Built by Khmer kings, the temple is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a masterpiece of Khmer architecture, following a unique north-south axis unlike typical rectangular Khmer temples.
Key Points
- Preah Vihear is a 9th-12th century Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, built by Khmer kings like Yasovarman I and Suryavarman II.
- The ICJ ruled in 1962 and 2013 that the temple belongs to Cambodia, based on French colonial-era maps.
- The site is strategically located on the Dangrek mountain range, forming a natural frontier between Thailand and Cambodia.
- Despite its UNESCO status, the area remains militarized due to unresolved territorial claims over the surrounding scrubland.
Exam Facts
- The ICJ first ruled on the temple's sovereignty in 1962.
- It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.
- The temple is located in Cambodia's Preah Vihear province.
Read it. Retain it. Recall it.
Get spaced-repetition flashcards, daily quizzes and offline access — free on Android.