Northeastern Thailand - Thailand - page 866

KHAO PHRA WIHAN NATIONAL PARK
The main attraction of this 130-sq-km national park ( 0 4581 8021; admission 100B) is Khao Phra Wihan
('Preah Vihear' in Khmer), one of the region's great Angkor-period monuments. Though this Khmer ruin sits just
inside Cambodia, it's normally easiest to reach via Thailand. Hugging the edge of a cliff on the brow of the Dan-
grek escarpment and accessed via a series of steep stepped naga approaches, the large temple complex, which the
Cambodian government chooses not to restore, towers 500m above the plains below offering both evocative ruins
and stunning views.
Claimed by both countries because of a misdrawn French map (which went unchallenged by Thailand for dec-
ades), the temple was awarded to Cambodia in a 1962 World Court ruling. Thailand's bruised pride never healed.
In June 2008, as the Cambodian government sought Unesco World Heritage status for the complex, a border con-
flict over 4.6 sq km of land in front of the temple flared and has since led to several deadly clashes between the
nations' armies and become a cause célèbre of Thailand's ultra-nationalist 'yellow-shirts'. The situation remains
unresolved and Thailand has shut its land border that lies within the park; for the time being, the temple itself can
no longer be reached via Thailand.
Renewed access to the Khmer ruin is likely years away (previously the Cambodians charged 200B and the
Thais collected another 5B) though the small core section of the national park - full of razor wire, bomb shelters
and soldiers - above Pha Mo-E-Daeng cliff has reopened. There are some fabulous views of Cambodia below
and you can also see Khao Phra Wihan in the distance. Also here, accessible by a short stairway, is the oldest bas-
relief in Thailand. The 1000-plus-year-old carving depicts three figures whose identities are an enigma to archae-
ologists and art historians.
Landmines have been laid during the present conflict and others may remain from the Khmer Rouge era, so it's
important not to stray from any well-worn path.
You'll need your own wheels to visit as there's no public transport here and hitching is not advised (and also
not easy) due to the political situation. The nearest town is little Phum Saron; if you ask around you can probably
find someone to drive you on the 22km roundtrip for 250B on a motorcycle and twice this in a truck. Most visit-
ors include it as a stop on a day-long tour, in which case Ubon Ratchathani is the most convenient departure point
to hire a car and driver.