Tourism at Preah Vihear Temple falls 36.2% due to Thai shelling

The Preah Vihear Temple bears damage from multiple Thai military shellings, cutting off access and sharply reducing visitor numbers. CMAC

#National

Synopsis: Thai military shelling damages both the temple and the road, effectively isolating the UNESCO World Heritage site for extended periods.

Tourist arrivals at Preah Vihear Temple fell 36.2 percent in 2025 after Thai military shelling struck both the mountaintop UNESCO World Heritage site and the main road leading to it, authorities reported on Friday.

The disruption, concentrated in the second half of the year following renewed border clashes between Cambodia and Thailand, sharply reduced visitor flows and impacted the local economy, which heavily relies on tourism.

According to an official from the Preah Vihear National Authority, the temple received a total of 58,154 tourists this year, including 51,731 domestic visitors and 6,423 foreign tourists. “This represented a year-on-year decline of 36.2 percent, with domestic tourists down 35.2 percent and foreign arrivals falling nearly 42.9 percent.”

Authorities noted that tourism operations were normal from January to June. “The year-on-year decline occurred after the resumption of border clashes in July,” the official said, adding that visitor numbers could have exceeded last year’s had it not been for the military aggression.

Perched atop the Dangrek mountain range, Preah Vihear Temple relies on a single main road for access. The official said that Thai military shelling damaged both the temple and the road, effectively isolating the site for extended periods.

It may be informed that the temple has a long history of conflict. Major clashes between the two neighbouring Kingdoms occurred from 2008 to 2011, following Cambodia’s successful UNESCO World Heritage listing in July 2008.

The tourism decline had immediate economic consequences, as local communities rely on visitors for income through guesthouses, transport services, restaurants, and small businesses around the temple.

Reduced tourist flows directly impacted household incomes and the broader local economy, while the absence of foreign tourists, further exacerbated the economic effects.

-Khmer Times-