Preah Vihear Temple | 09 Dec 2025

Source: IE 

Thailand launched airstrikes on Cambodian military targets after two Thai soldiers were killed near the border, reigniting the long-standing conflict centred on the historic Preah Vihear Temple. 

• Preah Vihear: It is a Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva, located in Cambodia, along the Thailand-Cambodia border in the Dangrek Mountains.   
  • The temple was built in the 11th century by the Khmer kings Suryavarman I and II, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as a major religious and cultural symbol for both Thailand and Cambodia. 
• Preah Vihear Border Dispute: In 1907, France (then colonial power in Cambodia) drew the colonial-era map placing the Preah Vihear Temple in Cambodia. 
  • Although the 1904 Franco-Siamese Treaty placed the area in Thailand. 
  • The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear belongs to Cambodia. 
    • Tensions escalated again in 2008 after Cambodia sought UNESCO World Heritage status for the temple. 
    • In 2013, the ICJ reaffirmed Cambodia’s claim and proposed a demilitarised zone, which was never implemented. 
  • Thailand currently rejects the jurisdiction of the ICJ, keeping the dispute unresolved.