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| Only a few Cambodian and foreign tourists have visited the disputed Preah Vihear temple recently. Thai and Cambodian soldiers positioned at Wat Kaew Sikha Khiri Sawara near the 11th century temple have withdrawn from the area to ease border tensions. WASSANA NANUAM |
Wassana Nanuam
Bangkok Post
'Please don't speak Thai when you are at Preah Vihear Temple. Thais aren't allowed there," the Cambodian driver warned me while taking me and my photographer up to the temple on Dec 11.
The driver wanted me to speak in English as he would tell Cambodian soldiers that we were non-Thai tourists.
The 11th century temple has been off-limits for all Thais since July 2008 after the armed border clashes in the area, leading to Thai troops being stationed at Wat Kaew Sikha Khiri Sawara at the foot of the temple hill.
Still with the US$20 (600 baht) entrance fee plus other top-up charges, the driver decided to take me to the temple on a three-hour ride from Siem Reap to see with my own eyes the situation on the ground there. The road is under construction by engineer soldiers and Chinese workers as part of Phnom Penh's plan to take more tourists there from Siem Reap, the major Cambodian destination for tourists who want to see Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. The road construction project faces a protest by Thailand in that it enters part of the 4.6 square kilometre disputed area.
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The driver wanted me to speak in English as he would tell Cambodian soldiers that we were non-Thai tourists.
The 11th century temple has been off-limits for all Thais since July 2008 after the armed border clashes in the area, leading to Thai troops being stationed at Wat Kaew Sikha Khiri Sawara at the foot of the temple hill.
Still with the US$20 (600 baht) entrance fee plus other top-up charges, the driver decided to take me to the temple on a three-hour ride from Siem Reap to see with my own eyes the situation on the ground there. The road is under construction by engineer soldiers and Chinese workers as part of Phnom Penh's plan to take more tourists there from Siem Reap, the major Cambodian destination for tourists who want to see Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. The road construction project faces a protest by Thailand in that it enters part of the 4.6 square kilometre disputed area.
Please click here to read more...
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