BANGKOK, THAILAND – Thailand’s culture minister reaffirmed that the war-damaged Ta Kwai and Ta Muen temple complex were clearly part of Thai cultural heritage and ordered urgent restoration despite Cambodian protests.
Ministry asserts ownership over border temples
At a press conference at the National Museum Phra Nakhon, Culture Minister Sabida Thaiseth said the Ta Kwai sanctuary and the Ta Muen complex were Thai antiquities for which Bangkok bore legal responsibility.
“Ta Kwai and the Ta Muen complex are Thai antiquities, and Bangkok carries the legal responsibility for them.”
said Sabida Thaiseth, culture minister.
She stressed that the site lay on Thai territory and therefore clearly fell under the jurisdiction of Thai authorities.
Bangkok rejects Cambodian protest
Sabida rejected Cambodia’s call to halt ongoing restoration work, describing it as an unacceptable interference with Thailand’s sovereign rights.
“Cambodia’s request to stop the restoration constitutes an inadmissible intrusion into Thailand’s sovereignty.”
said Sabida Thaiseth, culture minister.
According to the minister, the government in Bangkok saw no legal basis to suspend the Thai‑approved measures to protect the temples.
Registered antiquities and earlier restorations
The minister said Ta Muen Thom and Ta Muen Tot had been officially registered as Thai antiquities in 1935.
Between 1990 and 1996, restoration work was carried out and completed at these sites without any objections from Cambodia.
Military use and extensive damage
Sabida stated that recent fighting in the border area had left clear traces showing that the Ta Kwai temple had at times been used as a military position.
She said this violated international principles that explicitly prohibited the use of historic monuments for military purposes.
After a ceasefire and the reassertion of control over the area by Thai forces, investigators found massive damage at Ta Kwai and visible signs of destruction at the Ta Muen complex.
Urgent stabilisation hindered by landmines
Initial examinations indicated, according to the ministry, that the structure of Ta Kwai had been so severely compromised that urgent securing and restoration were required.
The Fine Arts Department and the 2nd Army Region had already begun surveying the area to prepare immediate restoration measures.
Numerous landmines laid in and around the temples were seen as the biggest obstacle, making access for experts significantly more difficult.
Global responsibility to protect heritage
Sabida underlined that specialist agencies had to act quickly to prevent further damage to cultural assets of worldwide significance.
“This is not only about national interests, but also about our responsibility for the international protection of historic sites.”
said Sabida Thaiseth, culture minister.
She said the aim of the restoration efforts was to safeguard heritage whose importance extended far beyond Thailand’s borders.