Fact check: Has Cambodia used border temple as an army base?

In the region known as the Emerald Triangle, the border area where Laos, Cambodia and Thailand meet, the long-standing border dispute between the latter two has flared up again.

At the heart of the century-old conflict are contested border lines and competing claims to several temple sites. 

Thailand and Cambodia share a border over 800 kilometers (500 miles) long, the placement of which is partly a remnant of colonial times. Several temples in this border region are highly valued and claimed by both countries, spurring disputes since the 20th century. 

The conflict escalated significantly in 2008 when Cambodia nominated the 1,000-year-old Hindu temple Preah Vihear/Phra Viharn to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The move was contested by Thailand and triggered violent clashes.

Most recently, on July 24, fighting erupted again in the region and resulted in over 30 deaths to date and more than 200,000 people displaced. A ceasefire has been in effect since July 28, though there have been reports of ceasefire violations. 

Following the heightened tensions and media attention, recent posts on social media have accused Cambodia of using ancient temples for military purposes.

DW Fact Check investigates one viral claim. 

Claim: "Everyone, please spread the news. Cambodia is using ancient sites as military bases, building bunkers, violating international conventions, and breaching UNESCO principles!!!!!", a user claimed on X on July 31.

The post is accompanied by two photographs and a text making a similar claim. It has more than 1 million views and is one of multiple similar posts shared on X, like this one, and on other platforms like Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.

The text accompanying the two photographs reads "Sacred Heritage Site Turned into Military Base – A Clear Violation of International Conventions". It also includes the hashtag "Prasat Ta Kwai", which is the name of a temple in the border region. But what exactly do the photographs show?

DW Fact check: Unproven

Older images of a contested temple site

A Google reverse image search reveals that the images had already been published online months ago, like here on Facebook in April 2025. It also shows that posts with these images came up again and went viral two days after the ceasefire agreement. 

We found similar images of the temple and its name: Prasat Ta Krabay/Prasat Ta Khwai. 

With this information, we were able to geolocate the temple: A search on Google Street View allowed us to replicate the angle from where the images were taken almost exactly, as the following screenshots show. 

While we could not fully determine the context of the earlier images, we could confirm that the photographs in the claim show Prasat Ta Krabay/Prasat Ta Khwai. However, they do not depict the current situation.

The images from Google Street View, which are dated November 2013, do show military personnel at the temple site. One of them seems to wear a patch on his right arm with the Cambodian national flag on it. 

Temples as military bases in the Emerald Triangle 

Next to the Prasat Preah Vihear/Prasat Phra Viharn, another ancient temple called the Ta Muan Thom is also at the center of the unrest.

According to The New York Times, these ancient sites have witnessed repeated military clashessince they are in contested territories, and both nations maintain military forces close by to guard them. 

Pavin Chachavalpongpun, professor at Kyoto University's Centre for Southeast Asian Studies and co-author of Preah Vihear: A Guide to the Thai Cambodian Conflict and Its Solutions (2013), confirmed to DW that ancient temples have been used for military purposes in the Thai-Cambodian conflict, especially in the Emerald Triangle region. 

Chachavalpongpun writes: "Many of these Khmer temples, such as Prasat Ta Krabey and Prasat Ta Muan Thom, are situated atop the high ridges of the Dangrek Mountains, a natural border. This elevated position offers a clear vantage point, making them valuable for observation and defense."

The symbolic significance of these sites for national identity and heritage is also an important reason for stationing troops there. Through this, Chachavalpongpun explains, "each country asserts its sovereignty over the disputed territory, effectively transforming a cultural landmark into a militarized frontier and a flashpoint for conflict." 

There have been numerous reports and photographic evidence (like here and here) of Thai and Cambodian forces building bunkers in the Preah Vihear site and other temples. 

"This construction is a direct consequence of using these cultural sites as military positions, as it provides shelter and a strategic advantage for the occupying forces," said Chachavalpongpun.

However, DW has found no concrete proof of whether Prasat Ta Krabay/Prasat Ta Khwai has been used as a full military base or bunker in recent days. Doing this could damage these culturally important places. 

International conventions and UNESCO principles

Whereas Preah Vihear was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, Prasat Ta Krabay/Prasat Ta Khwai is not. Still, international humanitarian law protects cultural property and prohibits its use for military purposes. 

Chachavalpongpun writes: "By using a temple as a military base, a country not only exposes a protected cultural site to the risk of damage from armed conflict but also risks losing its protected status. In the case of a UNESCO World Heritage Site like Prasat Preah Vihear, such military use is a direct violation of the principles under which it was listed."

The 1972 UNESCO World Heritage convention aims to protect the natural and cultural heritage of "outstanding universal value." The transformation of such sites into militarized zones clearly contravenes this.

Edited by: Kathrin Wesolowski and Matthew Ford