Murray Hunter
The role of Preah Vihear in the Thai-Cambodia war
Dec 30, 2025
The latest round of fighting between Thailand and Cambodia across the border has gone no way to settle the long dispute over Preah Vihear Temple complex.
The Preah Vihear (or Prasat Preah Vihear) Temple complex has played a pivotal role in the Thai-Cambodia conflict. The ancient Hindu temple is situated on top of 525 metre Pha Mo I Dang cliff on the Dangrek Mountains separating Sisaket Province in Thailand from Preah Vihear Province in Cambodia.
Culturally, Preah Vihear is important to both Cambodia and Thailand. Preah Vihear is a satellite temple radiating from Angkor Wat near Siem Reap. The complex forms much of what appears to be an enclve along the natural border defined by the mountain range. Much of Isan in Thailand was also part of the Angkor Empire (802-1431CE) where many ruins exist in Sisaket, Surin, Buriram, and Nakhon Ratchasima.
The Preah Vihear Temple itself runs north-south on top of the Dangrek Mountains and is 800m long. The temple is a UNESCO site. There is a clear roadway to the temple from Thailand, but this was blocked off with barbed wire after the 2011 clashes. Access from Cambodia is restricted to a set of steps going up the cliff-face from the Cambodian side. A road was constructed in 2003 from the Cambodian side, where the Thai Army claims it encroaches upon Thai territory.
From the Thai point of view, the temple is clearly located on the Thai side of the natural border. The Cambodians also holds approximately 154 Ha on top of the mountain, which provides a natural lockout into Thai territory.
History of Disputes
Back in 1904, Siam and the French Colonial authorities ruling Cambodia formed a joint commission to demarcate the border between the two territories, which largely followed the watershed line of the Dangrek Mountain Range. This placed the Preach Vihear Temple on the Thai side of the border. Survey work undertaken in 1907 lead to a map published in 1908 which showed the temple in Cambodian territory.
Following French military withdrawal from Cambodia in 1954, the Thai military occupied the temple area. Cambodia protested Thai occupation of the temple to the International Court of Justice in 1959, asking for a ruling.
The 1908 topographic map was used in the International Court of Justice ruling in 1962 that granted Cambodia sovereignty over the Preah Vihear Temple, even though t was south of the watershed line. In the ICJ court ruling, issues of cultural heritage and geographical position were not considered. The court based the ruling on Thailand’s acceptance of the 1908 map. Thailand argued that the 1908 map was not an official map of the 1904 border commission agreement and the map clearly violated the principal that the watershed line would be the border delineation.
By a vote of 7 to 5, the ICJ ordered that Thai troops must withdraw their positions and handover the temple to Cambodia.
Thailand initially rejected the ruling, but handed over the temple to Cambodia in January 1963. Prince Sihanouk made a goodwill gesture allowing Thai nationals to visit the temple without visas at the time.
Since 1963, the land surrounding the Preach Vihear temple has been subject to friction between Thai and Cambodian military. This led to clashes in 2008 and 2009. In February 2011 Thai and Cambodian forces engaged in intense artillery exchanges. Each side blamed the other for firing first. Both sides had troops in the land adjacent to the temple and stood firm. Another ICJ ruling on November 11 2013 ordered that land adjacent to the temple on the east and west sides belongs to Cambodia, and Thai forces should leave the area.
The area around the temple had for 13 years been cordoned off with barbed wire. The Cambodians had built structures within the Cambodian area, while the Thai military maintained camps around the perimeter. No one has been allowed to travel between the Thai and Cambodian sides for a number of years. It was suspected some of the entry ways into the Cambodian side had been mined. There has been some small amount of tourism to the site from the Cambodian site, although it is relatively remote (a day trip from Siem Reap). Tourism from the Thai side has been stopped since 2008. Attempts to reopen travel from the Thai side into the Preah Vihear temple have all failed.
The December outbreak of fighting
In early December fighting once again broke out and spread along much of the 800km shared border, involving air strikes, rockets, artillery, and ground troops contesting hilltops (e.g., Hill 350, Hill 500). Civilian areas, infrastructure, and cultural sites were affected, displacing thousands off people. A ceasefire was agreed on December 27–28, 2025.
One of the main battle areas were Preah Vihear temple area, where ground fighting extended to areas like An Ses, Phu Makhuea and Prolean Thmor, the Prasat Ta Muen Thom and Prasat Ta Khwai temples, where there was heavy fighting, occuptations and airstrikes on strategic positions, and the Emerald Triangle area. In addition, casino complexes at Poipet were targeted by Thai airstrikes, and rocket and artillery duels occurred around Surin, Buriram, and parts of Ubon Ratchathani Provinces.
Thai and Cambodian military strategies
Thai and Cambodian clashes involved artillery duels, airstrikes, and ground maneuvers, leading to significant damage to the temple vicinity (not completely verified) with a ceasefire on December 27. As Thailand’s military is larger and better-equipped, this resulted in Thai dominance in air operations but Cambodian resilience in ground defense.
Based upon available information, Thailand’s approach emphasized preemptive and disproportionate force to neutralize perceived threats, degrade Cambodian long-term military capabilities, and secure disputed zones.
Some of the key elements included:
The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) deployed F-16 fighter jets for airstrikes targeting Cambodian military installations near Preah Vihear, such as observation cranes, radio towers, and command posts. These strikes aimed to cripple logistics and command structures, with reports of up to 40 bombs dropped in a single morning session on December 8.
Thailand framed these as retaliatory to Cambodian rocket fire, but the goal was explicit: to “cripple Cambodia’s military capability for years to come.”
Thailand accused Cambodia of using the temple as a military base, including artillery and drone positions, which voided its protected status and legitimized attacks. Thai forces used tanks, 155mm artillery, and mortars for sustained bombardments on Cambodian positions in areas like An Ses, Prolean Thmor, and the temple itself. This included shelling to support infantry advances and destroy supply lines, such as bridges in nearby provinces.
These tactics involved rapid escalation, with mechanized units pushing into disputed areas to occupy hilltops (e.g., Hill 350) and temple complexes, justified as self-defense against alleged Cambodian encroachments.
This narrative supported a “deterrence failure” strategy, where prior diplomatic restraint gave way to overwhelming force to prevent future threats, including strikes on non-border targets like scam centers.
Overall, Thailand’s strategy was offensive and asymmetric, aiming for quick degradation to avoid prolonged attrition, with cultural sites treated as militarized if occupied by Cambodian forces.
The Cambodian strategies and tactics were primarily defensive, focusing on holding key terrain, countering Thai advances, and leveraging international sympathy through accusations of aggression and cultural destruction.
Cambodian forces fortified positions around Preah Vihear, using the temple’s elevated terrain for observation and firing points. They employed BM-21 multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS), PHL-03 rockets, and artillery for counter-battery fire against Thai incursions
Reports indicate tanks, drones, and small arms were used to repel ground assaults in areas like Veal Intry and Sambok Khmum, with intense responses to Thai tank infiltrations.
The ceasefire held as of December 30, 2025, but undemarcated borders and mutual accusations suggest fighting could re-emerge if tensions flare. However, Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to a consolidation of the ceasefire in trilateral talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on December 29, 2025 in a communique issued in Yunnan. It appears that the major issue in maintaining a ceasefire will be border demarcation disputes and any further potential landmine incidents. A Joint Border demarcation meeting will be held in Siem Reap in the first week of January to tackle these issues. Thailand at the time of writing is yet to confirm attendance.
The recent clashes have not achieved any long-term solution about Preah Vihear. Any joint management of the area has been ruled out. There are still disputes about the surrounding land around Preah Vihear and its likely borders will remain marked by barbed wire. Preah Vihear still looks like an enclave in Thai territory, and any political solution seems to be far away due to heightened nationalism on both sides.
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