PUBLISHED : 2 Jul 2025 at 15:18
WRITER: Online Reporters
A Thai army spokesman on Wednesday reasserted Thailand's historical claim to sovereignty over the disputed Ta Muean Thom temple ruins in Surin, on the border with Cambodia.
Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree said the Royal Thai Army (RTA) had no legal obligation to go along with Google's decision to mark Ta Muean Thom as being on Cambodian soil.
Many sites marked by Google Earth and Google Maps apps were inaccurate and their data had no legal standing at either national or international levels.
Maj Gen Winthai said Thailand had always demonstrated its sovereignty over Ta Muean Thom, which was in Phanom Dong Rak district of the northeastern province of Surin.
This was based on geographical evidence and the area being historically administered by the Thai government, the army spokesman said.
The RTA said recently on its Facebook page that Ta Muean Thom temple had been registered as an archaeological site within Thailand in 1935, in accordance with the borderline based on the drainage divide in the area.
This was nearly two decades before Cambodia got its independence from France in 1953, the RTA said.
The Fine Arts Department had renovated the temple ruins, and the Cambodian government had acknowledged this work by the Thai government department.
In addition, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) had built a road for visitors to conveniently visit the site, and ancient objects from the site were exhibited at the Surin National Museum in Surin province, the RTA said.
The Ta Muean Thom temple ruins site is one of the four disputed border areas Cambodia has claimed in its recent petition seeking a ruling by the International Court of Justice.
Thailand does not acknowledge the court's authority.
On Wednesday Deputy Defence Minister Gen Natthapon Nakpanich, who is acting defence minister, said the Ministry of Defence hoped Cambodia would discuss bilateral border issues with Thailand at the next meeting of the General Border Committee, which Thai and Cambodian defence ministers co-chair.
Gen Natthapon said there was a positive sign. Cambodian officials had decided to resume informal talks with their Thai counterparts, although some conditions had yet to be settled.
He said Thailand did not close its border with Cambodia. It only limited border opening hours. Cambodia had closed the border with Thailand, he said.
Thai security officials greet a Thai senate committee visiting the Ta Muean Thom temple ruins in Surin province last month. (Photo: Second Army Region)
1 comment:
The thieves Yuon and Siam wanted to finish off Cambodia from the world map.
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