Extensive damage documented at Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple after 2025 clashes
Assessments reveal hundreds of impact sites at the 11th-century Preah Vihear World Heritage temple following two periods of fighting with Thailand in 2025.
A joint assessment by the National Authority for Preah Vihear, UNESCO advisers and foreign specialists identified over five hundred damaged locations within the ancient temple complex after two bouts of cross-border fighting in 2025. Heavy shelling in late July hit 142 sites, while December bombardments affected an additional 420 spots, using artillery ranging from 81 mm to 155 mm and aerial bombs. Restoration projects supported by the United States and India suffered severe setbacks, with sandstone walls shattered and historic inscriptions dislodged.
With assistance from the Heritage Emergency Fund and the ALIPH Fund, experts have secured 23 critical areas, recorded 65,738 broken stone pieces, restored an ancient drainage system and produced comprehensive 3-D models for future work. The site remains closed to tourists as de-mining and safety checks continue, and both Cambodia and Thailand dispute each other's military use of the area.
Why it matters
The damage threatens a UNESCO World Heritage site and highlights the cultural cost of ongoing border tensions.
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