'Angkor Wat copy' under construction in Thailand criticized by Cambodia

A complex being built in Thailand is being accused by Cambodia of copying Angkor Wat.

Cambodia's Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts has issued a statement regarding the construction of a structure in Thailand, which commentators have dubbed an "Angkor replica".

Image captured from the "copy version" of Angkor Wat in Thailand

The construction, located in the temple grounds in Buri Ram province, Thailand, has recently continued to draw criticism from Cambodian social media users. According to the Khmer Times, Chea Tong Hour, a social media influencer, said that the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts has turned a blind eye to the incident while people across the country have criticized it. Thailand's "copying of Angkor" has hurt Cambodians but there has been no strong protest. "The Khmer Angkor Wat temple was stolen and placed on Thai soil but no action was taken," he wrote.

On Khmer Times, the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts said that it has paid great attention to construction activities and sent a delegation to monitor the situation from the beginning, since the incident broke out in 2021.

Site under construction

The agency stressed: The ministry's previous actions focused on diplomatic relations between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the Thai side (the Thai Embassy in Cambodia and the Thai Ministry of Culture) by sending researchers to inspect the construction site.

"We have a clear stance to prevent any act of copying our national identity based on diplomatic activities, technical verification work, field inspection work and road construction work. National and international laws in this case must be followed," Khmer Times quoted the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts as saying.

In 2021, the Bangkok Post also published an article reflecting on the above issue after Cambodia had its first reactions to the "copy" Angkor Wat complex. According to Thai newspapers, the temple located in Nang Rong district was at that time building a new complex to attract followers and tourists .

"Copy" is being reacted

Cambodians reacted angrily on social media to seeing photos of the complex and demanded the government take action, with the hashtags #SaveAngkorWat and #Angkorwatbelongtokhmer trending on Twitter.

However, the abbot of the temple, Somsak Sungwarajitto, denied that it was a copy of the architectural works at Angkor Wat. Director of the Buri Cultural Office Ram Khattiya Chaimanee also confirmed that the work was a combination of several famous locations.

But Cambodian government historical affairs chief Vong Sotheara told Khmer Times that he disagreed with Thailand's explanation after examining the construction plans and layout.

"Cambodia should do more research on this work," said the history professor at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.

Angkor Wat complex, a must-see tourist destination in Cambodia

Angkor Wat in Siem Reap was recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site in 1992, is one of the most important sites in Cambodia, attracting a large number of tourists to the country.

Buri Ram was once part of the Khmer empire and has many small, ancient ruins from that period. Many people in the southern half of the province speak Cambodian.

(According to Thanh Nien, September 27, 2023)

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