Nationalism, Weak History, and the Appropriation of Khmer Culture by Thailand
Sak Yant tattoos written in Khmer script were born in Cambodia, during the reign of the Khmer Empire. Supplied
Countries with weak historical foundations often rely on nationalism to construct their identity, claiming traditions as their own and even challenging older civilisations.
This is exactly what we see with Thailand. Cambodia, by contrast, has a long and continuous history stretching back to the Funan period, through the Chenla era, and flourishing during the Angkorian civilisation. Its culture, architecture, performing arts, religious rituals and art has been preserved, documented and continuously practiced, leaving no doubt about its authenticity.
Many elements that Thailand now claims as their national heritage, such as traditional attire like the Sbai, classical performances resembling Apsara dance, Khmer temples like Phimai and Phnom Rung, and Sak Yant tattoos written in Khmer script, clearly originate from Khmer civilisation.
Yet Thailand’s nationalist narrative attempts to rewrite these origins, highlighting pride over truth. Unlike Cambodia, which does not need to defend or invent its past, Thailand’s fragile cultural history forces it to appropriate, distort and even accuse the older civilisation to legitimise its identity.
The result is a misrepresentation of Southeast Asia’s shared heritage and a weakening of academic integrity. Thailand’s approach shows that when history is weak, nationalism becomes a tool to claim identity rather than a lens to understand it.
Roth Santepheap is a geopolitical analyst based in Phnom Penh. The views and opinions expressed are his own.
-Phnom Penh Post-
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