Thai, Cambodian troops reconcile over Prasat Ta Muen Thom incident

Thai and Cambodian troops reconcile at Prasat Ta Muen Thom after anthem incident, pledging calm dialogue ahead of high-level border talks.

Thai and Cambodian troops stationed near the sensitive border area surrounding Prasat Ta Muen Thom in Surin’s Phanom Dong Rak district have reconciled following a recent incident, ahead of a high-level border meeting on Thursday.

On Tuesday, the commander of Thailand’s Infantry Company 211 and the commander of a Cambodian infantry unit responsible for the area met at the ancient Hindu temple and apologised to each other.

The two commanders pledged that any future disputes concerning the temple or the border area would be addressed directly between them. They agreed to communicate calmly and reasonably, without letting emotions take over.This gesture of reconciliation followed an incident on 13 February, when a group of Cambodian troops escorted around 25 civilians to visit the temple. During the visit, the group sang the Cambodian national anthem and were stopped by Thai troops.

Prasat Ta Muen Thom is located on the Thai side of the Thai-Cambodian border in Surin province. However, the border in this area remains historically undemarcated, often giving rise to sensitivities and occasional disputes between the two nations. While Thailand regards the temple as part of its territory, Cambodia also lays claim to it.

Thailand welcomes Cambodian visitors to the temple but prohibits displays of nationalistic gestures that could be seen as asserting sovereignty over the site.During the talks, both sides acknowledged that recent tensions had been fuelled by YouTubers and their followers from both countries, who visited the temple and posted provocative videos online.

The commanders agreed that, going forward, any planned activity at the temple should be communicated in advance to the other side.

The meeting took place just two days before Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang is set to host a border dialogue with his Cambodian counterpart, Tea Seiha, on Thursday to seek mutual solutions to ongoing border issues.

(2025/04/30-00:00)