How the Tourist Reach to Hundu Temple in Preah Vihear

Preah Vihear Temple (Khmer: Brasat Preah Vihear, Thai: Preah Vihan) is a Hundu temple built during the reign of Khmer Empire in century 10^th. It is famous resorts located along Dangrek Mountains with 625 meters of height on the top of mountain. The temple is located on a hill, oriented along a north-south axis and facing the plains to the north in what is now Thailand. The location of Preah Vihear Temple is in Kantout Commune, Chumksan District, Preah Vihear Province. This mountain is divided bother between Cambodia and Thailand. It is 118 kilometers of distance from Preah Vihear Provincial Town and 412 kilometers of distance from Phnom Penh. Furthermore the distance from Preah Vireah Provincial Town to Phnom Penh is 294 kilometers. The temple gives its name to Cambodia's Preah Vihear province, in which it is now located, as well as the Khao Phra Wihan National Park which borders it in Thailand's Sisaket province and through which the temple is most easily accessible.

The temple was built at the top of Pey Tadi, a steep cliff in the Range of Dangrek Mountains which is the natural border between Thailand and Cambodia. Hence, the temple is located exactly at the watershed border line between Thailand and Cambodia. The ancient entrance passage and stairs to the temple was built from Thailand's highland side of the mountain up to the cliff, NOT from Cambodia's very low plain side. Hundred years ago, Cambodia was a part of Thailand (known as Kingdom of Siam) until France colonization period before World War I. Following that period, the Colonial Cambodia and Thailand both declared the occupation of the temple site.

The Temple was listed by Thailand as being in Bhumsrol village of Bueng Malu sub-district (now merged with Sao Thong Chai sub-district), in Kantharalak district of the Sisaket province of eastern Thailand. It is 110 km from the Mueang Si Saket district, the center of Si Sa Ket province. The Temple was also listed by Cambodia as being in Svay Chrum Village, Kan Tout Commune, in Choam Khsan District of Preah Vihear province of northern Cambodia.

 

Preah Vihear temple was built over 300 years (889AD to 1152 AD). This temple was built for Lord Shiva and it was built by 4 kings:

1.    Preah Bath Yasorvaranman I  from 889 to 900 AD

2.    Preah Bath Soryavoramann I  from 1002 to 1050 AD

3.    Preah Bath Cheyavoramann VI  from 1080 to 1109 AD

4.    Preah Bath Soryavoraman II  from 1113 to 1152 AD

On 15 June 1962 (48 years ago), the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague ruled 9 to 3 that the temple belonged to Cambodia and, by a vote of 7 to 5, that Thailand must return any antiquities such as sculptures that it had removed from the temple. In its decision, the court noted that in over the five decades after the map was drawn, the Siamese/Thai authorities had not objected in various international forums to its depiction of the temple’s location. Nor did they object when a French colonial official received the Siamese scholar and government figure Prince Damrong at the temple in 1930 (before the Thais realized the map was wrong). Thailand had accepted and benefited from other parts of the border treaty, the court ruled. With these and other acts, it said, Thailand had accepted the map and therefore Cambodia was now the owner of the temple.

Due to attractive, potential tourist and natural resources, the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) has prepared relevant documents to request to United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to list as World Heritage Site. It was so hard to be successfully enlisted in the World Heritage for Humanity, but because of patience, and commitment, this temple was listed by UNESCO on July 7^th, 2008 in Quebec City, Canada. The World Heritage Committee decided to add Prasat Preah Vihear, along with 26 other sites, to the World Heritage Site list, despite several protests from Thailand, since the map implied Cambodian ownership of disputed land next to the temple. As the process of Heritage-listing began, Cambodia announced its intention to apply for World Heritage inscription by UNESCO. Thailand protested that it should be a joint-effort and UNESCO deferred debate at its 2007 meeting.

In July, 2008 - Cambodia and Thailand move troops to disputed land near ancient Preah Vihear Temple after decision to list it as UN World Heritage Site fans nationalist emotions on both sides. Officials from both states start talks to resolve standoff. But October, 2008, there were two Cambodian soldiers are killed in an exchange of fire with Thai troops in the disputed border zone and Cambodia soldiers killed a lot of Thai troops.

In addition, RGC built the concrete road Provincial Town to Preah Virear Temple for visitors both local and international travel to visit and research the history of the temple. All areas around there were de-mined by CMAC Authority, so that visitors feel free about safety. The temple can be approached either by Tbeng Meanchey in Preah Vihear province or from  Siem Reap in Siem Reap Province. via Anlong Veng. Although the highway is paved when it leaves Siem Reap, both roads are (occasionally) graded gravel once they begin to approach the Dangrek escarpment.

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