AKP Phnom Penh, July 04, 2025 --

The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of the Kingdom of Cambodia has strongly rejected the recent statement by Ms. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Minister of Culture of the Kingdom of Thailand, over Ta Moan Temple Complex, asserting that it holds no legal validity.

On July 4, 2025, Ms. Paetongtarn Shinawatra—suspended prime minister—claimed that the Ta Moan Temple complex falls under Thai sovereignty, stating that it had been registered as an ancient monument in the Buddhist year 2505.

In a press release issued this evening, the Cambodian Ministry emphasised that Thailand’s claim—based on a unilaterally drawn map—has no legal standing. It contradicts the provisions of the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), in which both parties agreed to rely on a 1:200,000-scale map in accordance with the spirit of the Franco-Siamese Convention of 1904 and the Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907, both of which remain in force.

“The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts wishes to clarify that, according to the Franco-Siamese Convention of 1904, the Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907, and the 1:200,000-scale map, the Ta Moan Temple complex lies entirely within the territorial sovereignty of the Kingdom of Cambodia,” the ministry stated. “Moreover, the temple complex, located in Oddar Meanchey province, has been officially registered in Cambodia’s National Inventory of archaeological sites.”

The Ministry also urged the Thai Ministry of Culture to respect prevailing international principles and to uphold the dignity and professionalism that cultural institutions of each country must adhere to.

On June 16, 2025, the Royal Government of Cambodia formally submitted a request to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for intervention in resolving border disputes with Thailand in four sensitive areas, including the Ta Moan Thom Temple, Ta Moan Tauch Temple and Ta Krabei Temple complexes, and the Mom Bei area.

By C. Nika