The violent border clash broke out between Cambodia and Thailand on 24 July 2025, marking the most serious escalation in over a decade. The confrontation erupted near the Ta Muen Thom temple, leaving 12 dead, injuring dozens, and forcing mass evacuations in nearby areas.
According to Thai military sources, the fighting began in the early morning hours after Cambodian forces allegedly deployed drones for reconnaissance near Thai positions in Surin Province. Thai troops reportedly attempted to de-escalate, but by 8:20 AM, intense cross-border gunfire had begun.
At the center of this long-running conflict lies not just territorial claims, but ancient heritage sites most notably, the Preah Vihear temple, a revered 900-year-old Hindu shrine perched on a cliff in the Dangrek mountain range. Dedicated to Lord Shiva and built during the height of the Khmer Empire, Preah Vihear is considered sacred by both Cambodians and Thais.
Just 95 kilometers west, the 12th-century Ta Muen Thom temple, also dedicated to Shiva, sits near the current flashpoint. Together, these temples form part of a historical fault line one that has seen centuries of power struggles, now playing out in modern military skirmishes.
History Echoes: From Suryavarman to Rajendra Chola
It’s no coincidence that this flare-up comes as Southeast Asia quietly marks 1,000 years since Rajendra Chola’s naval expedition a campaign that once redrew the power dynamics of the region.
The roots of today’s dispute stretch back to the Khmer King Suryavarman I, under whose reign parts of the Preah Vihear complex were constructed. In the 11th century, Suryavarman faced resistance from the Tambralinga kingdom in what is now southern Thailand. Tambralinga, backed by the Sri Vijaya Empire, became a regional adversary.
At the same time, Rajendra Chola, ruler of the Chola Empire in southern India, had launched a maritime blitz against Sri Vijaya, disrupting its control across maritime Southeast Asia. Recognizing a strategic opportunity, Suryavarman I forged an alliance with Rajendra Chola.
This historic alignment shifted the balance of power. With Chola support, Suryavarman defeated his rivals. In a gesture of gratitude, he is said to have sent Rajendra Chola a magnificent war chariot a moment recorded in the Karandai Copper Plate inscriptions, which include Sanskrit verses praising this diplomatic and military collaboration.
Today, as bullets fly near the same temples those kings once built and fought over, the past and present collide. The Preah Vihear dispute may be framed as a modern territorial issue, but its roots lie deep in the region’s shared history of empire, religion, and power politics a history still unfolding on the border cliffs of Cambodia and Thailand.
(This article is based on an X Thread By TS Krishnan)
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