BANGKOK: Thailand held a Buddhist ceremony on Wednesday (April 22) at ancient temple ruins it took control of during deadly border clashes with Cambodia in 2025, drawing a rebuke from its neighbour.
The two South-east Asian countries have been at odds for decades over the demarcation of their 800km border, a legacy of the French colonial era.
The dispute erupted into several rounds of clashes in 2025, killing dozens of people in July and December, when Thailand took control of the centuries-old Ta Kwai temple that is known as Ta Krabey in Cambodia.
Thailand’s defence and culture ministers visited the temple on April 22 to commemorate the 15th anniversary of April 2011 clashes at the site, as well as the fighting in 2025, a Thai defence ministry statement said.
The event included a delegation of Thai officials and soldiers in uniform, chanting monks, water blessings and dancers in traditional costume, according to the statement and photos released by the defence ministry.
The Thai ministers attended the “merit-making ceremony dedicated to brave heroes on the anniversary of the Thai–Cambodian border clashes, while promoting cultural heritage conservation and the development of historical tourist attractions”, the ministry statement said.
Thai forces captured several areas in border provinces in 2025, territory that both sides claim.
Cambodia has repeatedly demanded their withdrawal and slammed Thailand over damage to several heritage temples sustained during 2025’s fighting along the border.
The culture ministry in Phnom Penh blasted the “continued unlawful presence and activities of Thai authorities and affiliated individuals at Ta Krabey Temple and its surrounding areas”, which it said on April 22 were within Cambodian territory.
The ministry “strongly protests the presence of senior Thai officials, including the Minister of Culture and the Minister of Defence, at Ta Krabey Temple, as well as the organisation of activities at the site”, it said.
“Such high-level involvement reinforces the unlawful character of these actions, and undermines ongoing efforts toward a peaceful and negotiated settlement,” the ministry added.
Cambodia and Thailand signed a ceasefire agreement in late December 2025 that allows for border talks.
However, formal meetings have yet to resume and tensions on the frontier remain, with both sides trading accusations of truce violations. - AFP
