Most of us have ties to Thailand and/or live in Thailand. So does that mean that almost all of us are on Thailand's side in this current "war" which I put in quotes because so far it is a border skirmish? I am guessing most of us feel mostly like (4) both sides are totally insane, but thats just a guess, thus this poll.

I would be in favor of a neutral third party leveling the temple and distributing the rubble equally to representatives from each country.

I would be in favor of a neutral third party leveling the temple and distributing the rubble equally to representatives from each country.

Nice commentary on an important historical site ......

anyways .. null vote for me ... I think it is a waste of both humans and good will to actually FIGHT over this

I would be in favor of a neutral third party leveling the temple and distributing the rubble equally to representatives from each country.

Nice commentary on an important historical site ......

anyways .. null vote for me ... I think it is a waste of both humans and good will to actually FIGHT over this

As far as I'm concerned it's not worth even one mothers sons death.

I agree with the comment above, the most important thing in life is life and one's already been stolen, may he rest in peace!

My opinion on who would win is this, if it was just a border war then Cambodia would win hands down, i really don't think Thailand has the stomach for such a conflict, nevertheless the blood spilled on either side would be horrific. If the war was Cambodia trying to take BKK and Thailand trying to take Phnon penn then i think Thailand through its air power and bigger guns would cream it.

I feel, to make a responsible and educated decision, things like bias and self-interests should be disregarded. In that regard, while I would be interested in seeing Thailand as SE Asian power, it has about as much merit to this land as China does Tibet. That is to say; even though both Preah Vihear and Tibet were once parts of Thailand and China, respectively, too much time has passed since they separated. So, both countries have effectively lost claim to the land.

Also, I'm not completely certain about Buddhism, but I think warring over a temple (a Hindu one at that) would be contradictory in some ways. I could be wrong, feel free to correct me =)

As far as which country is the better of the two: Thailand, of course. The Cambodians need to get cracking on bleeding out the Khmer Rouge from their institutions.

To the best of my knowledge the temple and territory belong to Thailand (according to surveys done with help from the American government) if the reverse was true I would support Cambodia in this matter. The big question is how much land does Thailand have to give up to make everyone happy and should Thailand tell Cambodia 'it's ok you can have it' and tells the South 'what the heck go ahead make your own country, we don't need that land' in the name of peace, how much more will everyone else want?

To the best of my knowledge the temple and territory belong to Thailand (according to surveys done with help from the American government) if the reverse was true I would support Cambodia in this matter. The big question is how much land does Thailand have to give up to make everyone happy and should Thailand tell Cambodia 'it's ok you can have it' and tells the South 'what the heck go ahead make your own country, we don't need that land' in the name of peace, how much more will everyone else want?

I would be in favor of a neutral third party leveling the temple and distributing the rubble equally to representatives from each country.

Another option would be to get all the children of the politicians from each country arm them with more weapons you can shake a stick....................but prior to battle give them 1 minute to see if they can come to an agreement, im betting they would.

To the best of my knowledge the temple and territory belong to Thailand (according to surveys done with help from the American government) if the reverse was true I would support Cambodia in this matter. The big question is how much land does Thailand have to give up to make everyone happy and should Thailand tell Cambodia 'it's ok you can have it' and tells the South 'what the heck go ahead make your own country, we don't need that land' in the name of peace, how much more will everyone else want?

The territory is in Cambodia, the Thai's who challenged this lost in court and never appealed in god knows how many years in which they had to do so. I can understand Thailand feeling hard done by having the French draw up there border and then Japan trying to move it about at a later date, it's ironic how a country whats never lost a thing according to the Thais has done so badly.

To the best of my knowledge the temple and territory belong to Thailand (according to surveys done with help from the American government) if the reverse was true I would support Cambodia in this matter. The big question is how much land does Thailand have to give up to make everyone happy and should Thailand tell Cambodia 'it's ok you can have it' and tells the South 'what the heck go ahead make your own country, we don't need that land' in the name of peace, how much more will everyone else want?

Sorry for my lack of knowledge on this but when did the Americans do a survey on this and why would they do it?

They (Cambodia) press for recognition as a World Heritage site and then they start planting mines around it, I find it hard to accept this and believe that the World Heritage listing should be removed.

If a war is to broke out. I mean a full war where one country totally capture another, I am afraid that Siam will loose. Even though the Khmer are the underdog, they don't have much to loose. The Siamese are much too civilize "relatively" to fight, so most will just flee the country just like Thaksin (just a joke, no personal attack please).

So, start leaning the Khmer language or applying for a British immigration visa. (Just a joke OK).

I think they, the politicians, are all barking mad and should be committed to an asylum for the mentally deficient. However I'd like to propose a variation of spidey's suggestion. Don't involve the kids, arm the politicians and put them in the front line. They'd back down so quick you'd miss the entire shooting match in a blink of an eye. Even the Yubramrungs only have the bottle for a fight when they have more than sufficient backup and the opposition is unarmed.

I also find favour with lannarebirth's suggestion, after all it's only a rather scruffy pile of rocks, IMO, certainly not worth the blood that's been spilt so far over it. The world has lost architectural wonders several orders of magnitude more awesome than this little heap and we've got over it. They could always sub-contract the job to the Taliban Redevelopment Corp. I've heard they have a penchant for this kind of work.

An utterly pathetic little spat all over loss of face and, more than likely, a bit of Thai smokescreen to deflect the heat the government is feeling at the moment. I hope their face feels better now it's daubed in the sacrificial blood of the innocent.

They (Cambodia) press for recognition as a World Heritage site and then they start planting mines around it, I find it hard to accept this and believe that the World Heritage listing should be removed.

I predict an upsurge in the no. of limbless beggars plying their trade around Rayong in the coming months. Thais vs Cambodians? Well, I suppose its a nice change for them to be killing other than their own people for a change.

The recent spat seems just to be a smokescreen to deflect internal strife over the border. Hardly Macchiavellian, but it seems to work.

This just reeks if an opportunity for both countries to deflect from the respective problems that the powers that be have back home. Nothing like some jingoism to keep the unwashed masses back home happy. Where it does become sad is when some kid wearing its army's uniform gets wasted for this sh*t.

i favour the turkish side. after all the Greek built that orthodox church on disputed russian soil. that's why the Turks have vested interests which they are defending now

The temple issue was on Thailand's backburner for years, it's Cambodia that is stirring the shit now, of course Noppadon's rolling over for them didn't help, it's the Cambodians who are pushing and pushing and pushing for it.

Thailand has lots of other, really pressing issues at the moment, it's not interested in any border disputes. Cambodia, on the other hand, has a clear agenda and it's trying to exploit the circumstances to advance it.

i favour the turkish side. after all the Greek built that orthodox church on disputed russian soil. that's why the Turks have vested interests which they are defending now

Naam, you need some love. Here's the thread you were looking for ---> http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Topic-Thread-t217712.html

If you ask which one do I favor to win, some considerations...

On population alone, Thailand: A country with a population of 65 million vs. a country of 13 million.

On aggressive spirit: Cambodia (Cambodians are fighters and survivors; Thais are too <<mai bhen rai>>.)

On fighting ability? A toss-up: Both armies only have experience killing unarmed civilians.

They (Cambodia) press for recognition as a World Heritage site and then they start planting mines around it, I find it hard to accept this and believe that the World Heritage listing should be removed.

That is not correct - the mines have been there for decades: http://www.ddasonline.com/minesPMN2.htm

Cambodia has been actively clearing these minefields, not laying new ones: http://www.cmac.org.kh/

How can you resolve a problem that has been around for centuries? Return land to another country? Would the US be willing to return some of the land that is took from Mexico? Are there simple solutions here? I don't think so.

This problem will only be resolved by whoever has more/bigger guns and more guts.

This problem will only be resolved by whoever has more/bigger guns and more guts.

Yes, the other side of the coin.

From today's CNN:

Thailand's more than 300,000-strong military uses modern American equipment and dwarfs Cambodia's 125,000 less well-equipped troops. Cambodian forces however are well versed in guerrilla warfare after fighting an intense civil war against the communist Khmer Rouge

How can you resolve a problem that has been around for centuries? Return land to another country? Would the US be willing to return some of the land that is took from Mexico?

They need that land to accommodate the millions of Mexicans living in America a country that enables millions of Mexicans opportunites to work and make money and get education and health services all far better then they would have had should they have remained on Mexican land not claimed by Americans.

It depends if they use real ricotta cheese in their lasagne in Cambodia.

It depends if they use real ricotta cheese in their lasagne in Cambodia.

That comment was so flip it would make a drunken Pinoy sailor blush!

I have to say I would be very strongly rooting for the underdog simply because the ones we know best are so ridiculously full of themselves.

This is not really about the temple. This is about the disputed area in the Gulf of Thailand that may contain huge oil and gas reserves. Thailand is willing to say the temple is in Cambodia, even though the French survey of the watershed line was incorrect and it should be Thailand. Cambodia wants to claim the area in front as well.

If Cambodia can get Thailand to back down about the disputed area in front of the Temple then it increases their chances of getting Thailand to do the same thing in Gulf. By doing it this way, they can make it about nationalism and not oil.

TH

Just another 'war' in the name of religion.....re the temple, but in reality this war is in the name of the tourist $$$'s that it brings in.

Both sides are loosing potiental $$'s when they could work together and milk the tourist on both sides.

Shoot the goose that lays the golden egg again........

This is not really about the temple. This is about the disputed area in the Gulf of Thailand that may contain huge oil and gas reserves. Thailand is willing to say the temple is in Cambodia, even though the French survey of the watershed line was incorrect and it should be Thailand. Cambodia wants to claim the area in front as well.

If Cambodia can get Thailand to back down about the disputed area in front of the Temple then it increases their chances of getting Thailand to do the same thing in Gulf. By doing it this way, they can make it about nationalism and not oil.

TH

Too true, TH. You are talking some big bucks out there in the gulf. As well as the tourist trap of the Hindu temples.