In a turn of events, a ‘love-hate’ relationship between Thailand and Cambodia halted with a permanent border checkpoint at the Thai-Cambodian Friendship Bridge. However, the situation took a massive turn, and a year later, the border region had turned into a site of a deadly clash between the two Southeast Asian neighbours.
It is to be noted that this clash has resulted in the death of more than 10 civilians and several soldiers.
According to the reports, countries have started a war over disputed land and a 1000-year-old Hindu temple, Temple of Preah Vihear. It is to be reported that the dispute started around a century before; however, recently the tensions between both countries started after a Cambodian soldier was killed during a scuffle with Thai troops in the Emerald Triangle - the disputed area between Thailand and Cambodia.
Following this, the war and disputes continued, and both nations blamed each other for extending the war. Hun Sen, who still controls power in Cambodia even after handing over the prime minister's position to his son in 2023, also warned about the possibility of war. He said, “We hate war, but we are compelled to wage it when facing foreign aggression.”
There was a combativeness between the two states, resulting in an increase in the number of troops on both sides of the border in June, but things cooled off shortly afterwards. Although the de-escalation was being followed, tit-for-tat moves by both countries still went on, such as the export ban, and Thailand threatening to switch off electricity to Cambodia.
In July, it reached its boiling point when five Thai soldiers were seriously injured in a landmine explosion, and it accused Cambodia. The Cambodian government referred to the accusations as groundless, stating that the mines were vestiges of historical conflicts.
It drove the bilateral relations of the two countries to the bottom of the pit for over a decade, and Thailand threw out the Cambodian ambassador and all the border check posts. Cambodia, in turn, evacuated its embassy in Bangkok and demoted its diplomatic relations.
As Si Sa Ket is an adjacent province to Cambodia, several Khmer ruins are found across the province, and the history of the capital in the province is alleged to tangibly relate to the Angkorian period. Preah Vihear is the most spectacular of all ruins, as well as one of the most impressive temples ever built by the Khmer people in the region. Known as Phra Vihan in Thai, it is a temple which was built on the edge of a cliff escarpment that in Cambodia is on the opposite side of the border but is much more conveniently accessed as a day-trip from Si Sa Ket since Prasat Khao Phra Wihan National Park includes several good sites on its territory before the border is reached.
As well as diversity of architecture, there are numerous ethnic tribes in Si Sa Ket, such as Suay, Lao, Khmer, and Yer tribes that have been settled in the province for several centuries. Old town Si Sa Ket, also called Muang Kukhan, used to be found at Ban Prasat Si Liam Dong Lamduan, Tambon Duan Yai, Amphoe Wang Hin, and moved to the current site along with the reign of King Rama V, which happened a century ago.
