Latest news with #AngkorWat
RNZ News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Looting the temples: a story of crime and redemption
Photo: LOOT A new documentary uncovers the illicit trade in thousand-year-old looted Cambodian temple treasures. From remote villages to elite international art institutions, LOOT uncovers the underbelly of a multi-billion-dollar trade in blood antiquities and the global art houses receiving them. LOOT is part of Doc Edge Film Festival , on now. Mihi speaks with filmmaker Don Millar.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Angkor Wat in Thailand? Cambodia resurrects cultural theft claims amid border clashes
As Thailand and Cambodia remain locked in a border dispute, another conflict has erupted – this time on the cultural stage, with Cambodia condemning a Thai temple for copying the design of its world-renowned Angkor Wat. Accusations against Wat Phu Man Fa in Buri Ram province, a region that borders Cambodia in northeast Thailand, have been levelled since the construction of the 100-million-baht (US$3 million) temple began in 2020. But now, they have escalated to the national level. Cambodia's Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona voiced objections to the grand Sihanakhon temple complex within the 32-hectare (79-acre) Wat Phu Man Fa on Thursday, saying it 'undermines the outstanding universal value and authenticity of Angkor Wat'. Angkor Wat, a Unesco World Heritage site, is renowned for its intricately carved ancient stone temples dating back to the 12th century. Tourists visit the Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap province. Photo: AFP 'The replication of Angkor Wat's architectural blueprint in the construction of Sihanakhon is a blatant infringement upon Cambodia's national identity and cultural soul,' she said during a national meeting on historical sites preservation, according to Thai Public Boardcasting Service.
Japan Times
5 days ago
- Japan Times
Border confusion as Thailand shuts land crossings with Cambodia
Dozens of tourists and workers, some carrying children, were left stranded on Tuesday at Thailand's main land crossing with Cambodia, after the army stopped almost all border traffic in an escalating territorial dispute. Thailand has closed crossing points in in all seven border provinces to everyone except students and those seeking medical treatment, after a long-running row erupted into military clashes last month in which a Cambodian soldier was killed. There was confusion at the Ban Khlong Luek checkpoint in Sa Kaeo province — the main crossing for people traveling overland to Cambodia's Siem Reap, where the Angkor Wat complex is located. Around 50 Cambodian workers, mostly vendors who regularly cross into Thailand for trade, found themselves stuck at the checkpoint, unable to return home.
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Travel + Leisure
16-06-2025
- Travel + Leisure
The Mekong's Moment: Why Cruise Lines Have Embraced Southeast Asia
Ever Since my first visit to Thailand 30 years ago, when I was a budget backpacker lured by the bargains and the beaches, I've been enamored with Southeast Asia. The region has become my happy place. So it was something of a shock, shortly after arriving in the riverside town of Kâmpóng Cham, Cambodia, to come face-to-face with one of history's ugliest moments. On an excursion to a site known as the Twin Mountains, my guide Tek Leng explained the horrific history of this place, today a peaceful park filled with pagodas and Buddha statues. As we walked past scampering monkeys and teenage monks in orange robes, it was difficult to believe that this was one of the Killing Fields during the reign of the Khmer Rouge, which perpetrated a genocide that resulted in the deaths of an estimated 2 million people. A visitor at Angkor Wat, the temple complex in Cambodia. Cambodia does not hide its scars. But I have found no place more unconditionally welcoming. And while the glorious ruins of Angkor Wat form what is undoubtedly the nation's marquee attraction, many travelers don't explore much beyond it. I wanted to go deeper—to visit rural communities and farms, to see more of everyday life in Cambodia and its neighbor Vietnam. And so I boarded the AmaDara, a beautiful 62-stateroom ship that plies the Mekong River between Kâmpóng Cham and Ho Chi Minh City. My eight-day cruise, operated by AmaWaterways , would make it comfortable and convenient to navigate this still-rural part of Southeast Asia. Each day, I'd have a choice of excursions: a monastery visit, a tour of a silk factory, a rickshaw ride, a market tour. After exploring, I'd return to the ship to cool off in the plunge pool, get a massage, enjoy my spacious cabin, with its French-colonial décor, and have healthful meals—though I'll admit to occasionally ordering the smashburger. After a major pandemic slowdown, the Mekong is booming again, with brands including Aqua Expeditions, Emerald Cruises, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, and Viking all operating on the river. A cabin on Anouvong, a Heritage Line ship that sails the Mekong River. In the face of this competition, cruise lines have been building new ships, refreshing older ones, and augmenting their itineraries. 'We always look for hidden treasures, new things to do,' says Rudi Schreiner, cofounder of AmaWaterways, which has been operating on the river since 2009. Last year, for example, the company added an excursion to the 2,100-acre Tra Su Cajuput Forest in Vietnam. This wetland sanctuary is home to more than 70 bird species, and its waterways, which visitors explore by paddle-driven sampans, are carpeted in water lilies and elephant-ear plants. By the end of next year, AmaWaterways will launch a second ship, AmaMaya, which will be similar in size to the AmaDara . It must be said that these peaceful moments are only a part of the story on the busy lower portion of the river. Particularly in Vietnam, the Mekong is filled with barges hauling petroleum, cement, steel, and coal. But when we got near Cambodia, the traffic lightened. (For this reason, I think sailing upstream is the better way, leaving the drama of Angkor Wat for the journey's end.) Unsurprisingly, given the bustle, lines are increasingly pushing deeper into the upper Mekong, which roughly follows the border of Laos and Thailand up toward the Golden Triangle. Last December, Mekong Kingdoms launched the 13-suite Bohème, which makes five-night journeys between the Lao capital, Vientiane, and the UNESCO-listed town of Luang Prabang. Heritage Line operates the 10-stateroom Anouvong, a luxury ship that blends traditional Lao and French-colonial styling. It sails seven- and nine-night itineraries between Vientiane and Huay Xai, a town not far from where Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand meet. It's proof that in this fascinating part of the world, there's always more to discover. Siem Reap, Cambodia, isn't located on the banks of the Mekong, but it has become a natural start or end point for trips on the river—and not just because it's home to Angkor Wat. In late 2023, a $1.1 billion airport opened, allowing connections to the mega-hubs of Bangkok, Seoul, and Singapore, among other destinations. Typically, travelers embarking in Kâmpóng Cham fly in to Phnom Penh International, which is a 2½-hour drive from the cruise port. While the new Siem Reap–Angkor International is a 4½-hour drive, its contemporary facilities have made it an intriguing alternative. ABERCROMBIE & KENT The company runs trips aboard the 14-cabin Mekong Princess, a smaller ship that can access places larger vessels can't, like the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. AMAWATERWAYS Its Soulful Experience departure in October 2026, which includes both river-ship and land touring, will spotlight Black history in Southeast Asia. AQUA EXPEDITIONS The firm's 20-suite Aqua Mekong is equipped with kayaks, motorized skiffs, and all-terrain bikes for off-ship touring. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC-LINDBLAD EXPEDITIONS It charters ships such as the Jahan, a chic 26-stateroom vessel, for two-week tours that include stops in both Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap, Cambodia. PANDAW CRUISES The pioneer of leisure trips on the river, this operator has off-the-beaten-path itineraries in Cambodia. UNIWORLD BOUTIQUE RIVER CRUISES This brand operates the Mekong Jewel, a 34-stateroom ship designed to feel like a luxury hotel, with a sizable swimming pool, a spa, and a library. VIKING Its latest 40-cabin ship, Viking Tonle, will arrive later this year with the line's signature Scandinavian design and itineraries that include overnights in Ho Chi Minh City, Siem Reap, and Hanoi, Vietnam. A version of this story first appeared in the July 2025 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline 'The Mekong's Moment.'
The Independent
06-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Thailand and Cambodia: Why tensions are flaring over long-disputed border again
Tensions have escalated between Thailand and Cambodia following the death of a Cambodian soldier in May during a brief exchange of gunfire in a disputed border area. The two Southeast Asian neighbours have contested sovereignty over various undemarcated points along their 817km land border for over a century. The border was initially mapped by France in 1907, when Cambodia was under French colonial rule. Thailand later contested the map, which was based on an agreement that the border would be demarcated along the natural watershed line between the two countries. In 2000, Thailand and Cambodia established a Joint Border Commission to peacefully address overlapping claims. However, little progress has been made in settling the disputes. Claims over ownership of historical sites have raised nationalist tension between the two countries, notably in 2003 when rioters torched the Thai embassy and Thai businesses in Phnom Penh over an alleged remark by a Thai celebrity questioning jurisdiction over Cambodia's World Heritage-listed Angkor Wat temple. What have been previous key events? An 11th century Hindu temple called Preah Vihear, or Khao Phra Viharn in Thailand, has been at the heart of the dispute for decades, with both Bangkok and Phnom Penh claiming historical ownership. The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but Thailand has continued to lay claim to the surrounding land. Tension escalated in 2008 after Cambodia attempted to list the Preah Vihear temple as a UNESCO World Heritage site, leading to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths, including during a weeklong exchange of artillery in 2011. Two years later, Cambodia sought interpretation of the 1962 verdict and the ICJ again ruled in its favour, saying the land around the temple was also part of Cambodia and ordering Thai troops to withdraw. What has caused the recent tension? Despite the historic rivalry, the current governments of Thailand and Cambodia enjoy warm ties, partly due to the close relationship between their influential former leaders, Thailand's Thaksin Shinawatra and Cambodia's Hun Sen, whose daughter and son respectively are now the respective prime ministers in their countries. Thaksin and Hun Sen also remain active in politics. But nationalist sentiment has risen in Thailand after conservatives last year questioned the government's plan to negotiate with Cambodia to jointly explore energy resources in undemarcated maritime areas, warning such a move could risk Thailand losing the island of Koh Kood in the Gulf of Thailand. Tensions also rose in February when a group of Cambodians escorted by troops sang their national anthem at another ancient Hindu temple that both countries claim, Ta Moan Thom, before being stopped by Thai soldiers. The issue is a problem for Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, whose government is facing multiple challenges on the domestic front, including a stuttering economy facing steep U.S. tariffs. Thailand's military, however, has ramped up the rhetoric with statements that have contrasted with the government's conciliatory tone, expressing readiness for a "high-level operation" if sovereignty comes under threat. Paetongtarn later echoed the military's position but said a peaceful resolution of the disputes was Thailand's priority. The mixed messaging underlines the troubled history between the billionaire Shinawatra family and the royalist military, which toppled its governments in 2006 and 2014. Is either side working to resolve the issue? After the May 28 clash, both countries quickly promised to ease tension, prevent more conflict and seek dialogue via their joint border commission at a meeting planned for June 14. The neighbours have issued diplomatically worded statements committing to peace while vowing to protect sovereignty, but their militaries have been mobilising near the border, raising concerns about another flare-up. Cambodia, meanwhile, said existing mechanisms were not working and it planned to refer disputes in four border areas to the ICJ to settle "unresolved and sensitive" issues that it said could escalate tensions. Thailand has not recognised the ICJ's rulings on the row and wants to settle it bilaterally
