Anchalee Kongrut in Si Sa Ket
Bangkok Post
The scenic Pha Mo E-Daeng, a cliff opposite the Dongrek mountains where the Preah Vihear ruins sit, was noisy on Sunday.
That is unusual. Normally the drawcard is atop the temple hill, from where visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of Cambodia.
But since the Preah Vihear sovereignty dispute flared up, and the Cambodian government closed access from Thailand, Pha Mo E-Daeng has been a favourite place for temple spotters.
Visitors can only see the controversial temple from a distance. Some rent binoculars to watch Cambodian soldiers guarding the complex.
A hot topic among visitors last weekend was why the temple did not belong to Thailand, given its location.
"If the whole site belongs to Cambodia, how can they walk up to the temple when the most accessible entrance is from Thailand?" said Ruen Tiachai, 71, a farmer from Sukhothai.
"The Cambodians must have to climb a rope to enter their temple."
Scratching his head, Mr Ruen said he cannot understand why the International Court of Justice ruled in favour of Cambodia in 1962.
"Common sense tells me the temple belongs to us. The owner of the house enters the house through the front door. He doesn't climb in," he said.
Other visitors were concerned about the overlapping area of 4.6 sq km which has not been settled by the two governments. Despite the dispute, 500 Cambodians managed to erect a village and temple there a decade ago. The village is far from makeshift. Most of the 200 homes there have electricity and television antennas.
"Overlapping area means overlapping business interests," said Thananchai Sained, 46, a villager from Ubon Ratchathani.
But no matter what patriotic Thai visitors think, the ancient stone temple is now inscribed as Cambodia's second World Heritage site. The first is the breathtaking Angkor Wat in Siem Reap.
As nationalistic Thais grow enraged that Cambodia walked away with the prize from the World Heritage Committee, local people, particularly those with tourism businesses worry what will happen now.
Most affected are vendors who sell souvenirs and food to tourists in Thailand's Preah Vihear national park. Each of the 60 shops there typically earned at least 5,000 baht a day on weekends and 2,000 baht on weekdays.
Vasana Limthongsood, 28, a food vendor, said the market has been closed for more than three weeks.
There is no sign the Cambodian government will reopen the gate. "I don't know what to do," she said.
Local people are thinking a few years ahead, when Cambodia is expected to finish a 118km road to bring in tourists from their side.
The Cambodian government wants to make Preah Vihear a tourist magnet, with better access from Cambodia. A cable car will be built to take visitors up the 522-metre-high cliff where the temple stands.
"I bet Cambodia will close the gate on the Thailand side eventually, or start charging high prices for entry tickets," said Sawai Chaowarak, 52, a Si Sa Ket native.
"Then we will lose our business opportunity. After the close relationship between Cambodians and Thais on the border, the Cambodian government will shut the door in our face," she said.
For decades, and regardless of the world court's verdict, the Preah Vihear area has been an international zone where citizens of both countries freely crossed the border.
Many Kantharalak district natives speak Khmer and people from both countries have cross-married.
Thai villagers even do merit-making at temples in Cambodia, while Cambodians often go to the hospital in Si Sa Ket and do shopping in the province. That, too, could change as Cambodians develop the area, said Vichin Prasarnjit, 53, of Si Sa Ket.
If anyone approaches the Cambodian village, they will hear loud voices from the lively community. On Thai soil, the atmosphere is different. Since the area was declared a national park almost a decade ago, the area fell quiet after local villagers were removed.
Soldiers complain about poaching and Cambodians trying to populate land in the disputed area.
For Mr Vichin, the authorities, after missteps and non-transparency, still have a final chance to serve the country.
"The government must clear up the dispute over border demarcation and overlapping land rights. The sooner, the better," he said.
That is unusual. Normally the drawcard is atop the temple hill, from where visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of Cambodia.
But since the Preah Vihear sovereignty dispute flared up, and the Cambodian government closed access from Thailand, Pha Mo E-Daeng has been a favourite place for temple spotters.
Visitors can only see the controversial temple from a distance. Some rent binoculars to watch Cambodian soldiers guarding the complex.
A hot topic among visitors last weekend was why the temple did not belong to Thailand, given its location.
"If the whole site belongs to Cambodia, how can they walk up to the temple when the most accessible entrance is from Thailand?" said Ruen Tiachai, 71, a farmer from Sukhothai.
"The Cambodians must have to climb a rope to enter their temple."
Scratching his head, Mr Ruen said he cannot understand why the International Court of Justice ruled in favour of Cambodia in 1962.
"Common sense tells me the temple belongs to us. The owner of the house enters the house through the front door. He doesn't climb in," he said.
Other visitors were concerned about the overlapping area of 4.6 sq km which has not been settled by the two governments. Despite the dispute, 500 Cambodians managed to erect a village and temple there a decade ago. The village is far from makeshift. Most of the 200 homes there have electricity and television antennas.
"Overlapping area means overlapping business interests," said Thananchai Sained, 46, a villager from Ubon Ratchathani.
But no matter what patriotic Thai visitors think, the ancient stone temple is now inscribed as Cambodia's second World Heritage site. The first is the breathtaking Angkor Wat in Siem Reap.
As nationalistic Thais grow enraged that Cambodia walked away with the prize from the World Heritage Committee, local people, particularly those with tourism businesses worry what will happen now.
Most affected are vendors who sell souvenirs and food to tourists in Thailand's Preah Vihear national park. Each of the 60 shops there typically earned at least 5,000 baht a day on weekends and 2,000 baht on weekdays.
Vasana Limthongsood, 28, a food vendor, said the market has been closed for more than three weeks.
There is no sign the Cambodian government will reopen the gate. "I don't know what to do," she said.
Local people are thinking a few years ahead, when Cambodia is expected to finish a 118km road to bring in tourists from their side.
The Cambodian government wants to make Preah Vihear a tourist magnet, with better access from Cambodia. A cable car will be built to take visitors up the 522-metre-high cliff where the temple stands.
"I bet Cambodia will close the gate on the Thailand side eventually, or start charging high prices for entry tickets," said Sawai Chaowarak, 52, a Si Sa Ket native.
"Then we will lose our business opportunity. After the close relationship between Cambodians and Thais on the border, the Cambodian government will shut the door in our face," she said.
For decades, and regardless of the world court's verdict, the Preah Vihear area has been an international zone where citizens of both countries freely crossed the border.
Many Kantharalak district natives speak Khmer and people from both countries have cross-married.
Thai villagers even do merit-making at temples in Cambodia, while Cambodians often go to the hospital in Si Sa Ket and do shopping in the province. That, too, could change as Cambodians develop the area, said Vichin Prasarnjit, 53, of Si Sa Ket.
If anyone approaches the Cambodian village, they will hear loud voices from the lively community. On Thai soil, the atmosphere is different. Since the area was declared a national park almost a decade ago, the area fell quiet after local villagers were removed.
Soldiers complain about poaching and Cambodians trying to populate land in the disputed area.
For Mr Vichin, the authorities, after missteps and non-transparency, still have a final chance to serve the country.
"The government must clear up the dispute over border demarcation and overlapping land rights. The sooner, the better," he said.
15 comments:
Mr Ruen Tiachai should scrath his head more, don't you know that the land on the entrance to the Khmer built Preah Vihear temple belong to us Khmer in CAMBODIA.
We don't give a shit at all if Cambodia wants to close the borders between Cambodia and Thai.
If you close the borders, don't beg us to open ours.
are you mad? can we have a civilize conversation? Oh wait I forgot you are thai. thai are so arrogant and thai is the cruelest people on earth. Don't worry samdech Hun Xen will close the border forever, you just wait and see.
"If the whole site belongs to Cambodia, how can they walk up to the temple when the most accessible entrance is from Thailand?" said Ruen Tiachai, 71, a farmer from Sukhothai.
"The Cambodians must have to climb a rope to enter their temple."
a farmer from Sukhothai is far wiser than all Khmers in this blog.
HAHAHA
ps. 12:34am
did your comment civilized?
c'mon don't fool yourself
HUN SEN do what?
i don't have to wait and see.
all thais knows that Hun Sen dealt with former ThaiPM, to give away Koh Kong, Kong island, in a concession for 99 years or so.
do you think HUN SEN give a damn to all Khmers? he's as greedy as our fucking squared-faced PM. Hahaha
why the temple did not belong to Thailand?
Because the temple built by Khmer King that's why. Most land belong to Khmer, but thai claims land around the temple as their.
do you think HUN SEN give a damn to all Khmers? we, Khmer don't care Hun Sen either. He can lease Koh Kong 99 years or 1 million years to whoever he wants. Our law will change according to new Gov't administration.
PERMANENTLY CLOSE THE BORDER SCREW THE JOI MRAY SIEMS
All of the Siams should eudcate themselves a little bit about the facts of the world history. If the previous Siams'government were a bunch of ignorants due to not educating their own students and people about the Khmer Empire, now the Siams people should use the internet and type Khmer Empire in one of the search engines. They will know where the Siams got their land from. Then go educate your people like Mr. Ruen who used the logic of a frog in the pond. After that, hopefully, things might click and make more sense about the Preah Vihear Temple.
This report has low standards of values because it simply proves that opinion and commonsense are correct, based on the main entrance to the temple. This reporter for Bank Post? should study more about real history, otherwise such an international coverage has low standards.
Do you know how to use the principle of checks and balance in the media report? There are two things here: facts and opinion. This report seems plainly opinionated with no expertise values. I guess however your experts dupe too as non of you guys seem to know the fact of Khmer empire in the past. Ask your great great mum!
I don't think judgment using commonsense is sound, or else my commonsense will tell me that all ancient temples in Thai, Vietnam, and Laos belong to Cambodia simply because they belong to the real history of the world.
Some of the Thais are fooled around because of their cheating history lessons from their birth. They are taught to be greedy and encroaching others to survive, but it wont last any long as you can see now..fall apart! Khmer should have only one blood and soul...if you say you are Khmer Issiam...you are still Khmer who are simply lost and useless...you are the black sheep of Cambodia's family...should find ways to come back to your cage now! or else you have no face to meet our ancestors!
From me MUM!
Remember United Khmer People,
Don't forget Khmer Isan, Khmer Surin, Khmer Krom, and Koh Tral. Must return back to Mother Land. Vote for me 2033 Thank You
it is distressing to know that thai people, including the older generation such as the farmer in this article, are oblivious to their own history! what an embarrassment! no wonder their whole population is ignorant.
12:42 PM
If war broke out, aim at the heart of their (Thailand)economy. Of course,Bangkok will be the prime target. Also, we need to hit where it hurts the most to have the Thai understand.
Also, the Burma should cut the oil supply.
Give us Koh Pors(snake island), we will send troops from Hanoi to help you to pull Thai troops back. hehehe
From Vietnamese commander
You should concentrate Vietminh dwarf soldiers protecting the parcel island.
From China PM Wen Jiabao.
whatever, not in cambodian opinions. in khmer people's opinions, it is good idea to close the border permanently so the siem thieves can only salivate and stare at preah vihear temple only, not visiting or incursion into it.
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