Bullet holes and barbed wire - Inside the battle-scarred Prasat Khana Temple
Newly released images of Prasat Khana, an ancient Khmer temple perched on the Phanom Dong Rak mountain range along the Thai-Cambodian border, starkly reveal the scars of recent military clashes, featuring bullet-ridden ruins, abandoned military rations and a heavily fortified perimeter.
Major General Winthai Suvaree, the Royal Thai Army spokesman, and Lt. Gen. Weerayuth Raksilp, the Second Army Region commander, inspected the site today in the Naeng Mut sub-district of Kap Choeng district in Surin province.
The visit was to assess the aftermath of the second round of armed skirmishes that broke out late last year, including a strategic outpost previously occupied by Cambodian forces during the conflict.
Inside the ruins, authorities discovered a large cache of canned rations, including rice and fish, indicating that Cambodian troops had been dug in for an extended period.
On a stone slab within the complex, Cambodian soldiers had scrawled the phrase "Kampuchea Thmey" (New Cambodia).
According to the military, this is the name of a Facebook page used by Cambodian troops to broadcast live streams and post content while they held the ground. The remains of a makeshift kitchen, reportedly constructed to serve high-ranking Cambodian officers, were also found nearby.
During the inspection, Lt. Gen Weerayuth and Maj. Gen. Winthai laid flowers at a monument dedicated to Lieutenant Therdsak Srilachai, a Thai soldier killed in action at the site.
Lt. Therdsak lost his life while providing security for a field engineer unit clearing a path for Thai maneuvers.
Despite coming under heavy bombardment from BM-21 multiple rocket launchers and intense supporting fire, his bravery allowed Thai forces to counter-attack successfully and reclaim control of Prasat Khana.
To secure the area against future incursions, the Second Army Region has installed double-layered barbed-wire fences along the watershed line that marks the border.
Furthermore, a 1,181-step wooden staircase, previously built by Cambodia as a main access route to the temple and marketed as a tourist attraction, has been partially destroyed. Thai forces burned down a 250-meter section of the 450-meter staircase during the height of the clashes.
Despite its turbulent recent history, efforts are underway to preserve the ancient site. The Fine Arts Department, through its 10th Regional Office in Nakhon Ratchasima, originally surveyed the temple back in September 2001.
Following the cessation of the recent hostilities, fine arts officials safely retrieved 28 significant archaeological artifacts from the site, including a sculpture of a Garuda and various stone inscriptions.
Experts are currently studying these pieces to determine the temple's original architectural layout and art style, which remain largely undocumented, in preparation for a future restoration project.
The border site is currently under the strict control of the 26th Ranger Task Force of the Second Army Region.
A religious merit-making ceremony, presided over by Lt. Gen Weerayuth, is scheduled for tomorrow to honour the soldiers who died in the line of duty and to bless the troops currently stationed along the Thai-Cambodian border.