Thai troop presence near Preah Vihear puts pressure on tourism, conservation

Armed Thai military personnel stand at a gate near Preah Vihear Temple. FB

The presence of Thai troops near Preah Vihear temple is having wide-ranging effects, from a decline in tourism and disruption to the management and conservation of the World Heritage site to heightened security pressure on the specialists working there.

Kong Puthikar, director-general of the National Authority for Preah Vihear (NAPV), said Thai troops had moved close to the temple and several other nearby locations.

He noted, however, that he could not independently determine whether the troops were positioned on Cambodian or Thai soil, as the precise boundary must be determined by the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Boundary Commission (JBC).

Speaking at a roundtable discussion on landmines and unexploded ordnance in Preah Vihear province, he said: “Regarding the current presence of Thai troops, what we can observe is that they have moved close to the Preah Vihear temple area, near the temple’s fence.”

“As for whether they are in Cambodian or Thai territory, I cannot make that assessment. The JBC must first determine where the boundary lies before we can establish who has crossed it and who has not,” he added.

Puthikar said the NAPV was awaiting further work by teams from the authorities responsible for border affairs to establish the precise locations and boundary line.

Regardless of which side of the yet-to-be-demarcated boundary the troops are positioned on, he said their presence near the temple was already having tangible effects.

“Their proximity to Preah Vihear temple affects not only tourism. It has also restricted the management and conservation of the temple and placed those activities under security pressure,” he said.

Tourism affected

Tourism is among the sectors directly affected, as the security situation has prevented visitors from accessing Preah Vihear temple as normal.

The temple is one of Cambodia’s most important historical, religious and cultural tourism destinations and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008.

Restrictions on access have affected not only visitor numbers but also businesses, services and income sources for communities living around the heritage site.

The situation has prompted the provincial administration to promote other tourism destinations considered safe, including Koh Ker temple and attractions in the province’s interior.

Management and conservation disrupted

Beyond tourism, the presence of troops near the temple has disrupted the routine work of the NAPV, including structural inspections, damage assessments, the collection of stone fragments and restoration.

Puthikar said repair and conservation activities undertaken by both the authority and international partners, including India, China and the US, had been suspended because of the security situation.

Teams can currently carry out only emergency measures, including supporting structures at risk of collapse, sealing cracked sections, collecting and protecting stone fragments and using 3D photography to preserve scientific records.

He stressed that these were temporary measures intended to prevent further deterioration, not full restoration.

“All we can do at present is emergency rescue work for Preah Vihear Temple, not restoration,” he said.

Security constraints have prevented the authority from assessing the full extent of the damage, determining the funding required or estimating how long restoration will take.

Specialists face security pressure

Puthikar said conservation officials travelling to work at the temple continued to face security pressure because of the military presence and tensions along the border.

During his presentation, he said some officials felt compelled to say goodbye to their families before travelling to the site because they could not predict how the situation might change.

Despite the risks, officials have continued emergency stabilisation work because they regard protecting Preah Vihear temple as a Cambodian duty and a responsibility towards a World Heritage site, he said.

Damage recorded at hundreds of locations

According to the National Authority for Preah Vihear, shelling during the July conflict damaged 142 locations at the temple, while the December fighting caused damage at a further 420 locations.

Damage was recorded to architectural structures, gopuras, carvings, stone pillars, walls and tourism infrastructure.

The conservation site at Gopura V, supported by the Indian government, was also destroyed. It included an office, a stone-cutting workshop, stone-lifting equipment and other technical materials.

The restoration of the temple’s northern staircase, supported by the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation and implemented from 2018 until July 2025, was also suspended, while previously restored sections sustained additional damage.

A Chinese project which was planning to restore parts of Gopuras I, II and III has also been unable to proceed because of the security situation.

No decision on World Heritage in Danger listing

Regarding the possibility of placing Preah Vihear temple on the List of World Heritage in Danger, Puthikar said the authorities had not yet made a decision because the issue required a clear assessment.

He described such a listing as a change in status from a World Heritage site to a World Heritage site in danger, which he compared to a downgrade.

“Being classified as in danger would mean Preah Vihear temple moving from World Heritage status to World Heritage in Danger status. In that sense, we would be taking a step backwards,” he said.

Puthikar said the resumption of normal heritage management, conservation and tourism would depend on an easing of the security situation and progress in resolving the border dispute through mechanisms agreed upon by both sides.

-Phnom Penh Post-