World Insights Bringing You best of world at one placeThe Ancient Khmer Highway was a 225 km roadway going northwest between Angkor (in Cambodia) and Phimai (now in Thailand). While it was not the only such road built by the Khmer, it was the most important one.
Most of the road is overgrown by the jungle, and only visible today on aerial photographs. Few of the rest house chapels or hospital chapels survive (only the chapels remain as they were the only buildings built of sandstone or laterite, and all wooden constructions rotted away long ago). The only part of the road which is still driveable is at the entrance to the town of Phimai (state route 2163).
The road has been proven to exist in the 12th and 13th century, but it is quite certain that it existed earlier. Most of the buildings along the road date from the reign of King Jayavarman VII.
Anlong Veng was our last town in Cambodia before crossing the border. The town itself was notorious as one of the last hangouts of the Khmer Rouge’s senior leaders. Pol Pot himself lived in the hills not far from town so that he could slip into Thailand when necessary to escape capture.
Ta Mok, one of the most notorious military leaders of the Khmer Rouge lived here also. After the regime was overthrown in 1979, Ta Mok remained a powerful figure, controlling the northern area of the Khmer Rouge’s remaining territory from his base here. He was arrested in 1999. The Dove of Peace roundabout, pictured here, is now the centrepoint of town.
Passing an abandoned checkpoint as we head towards the Dankrek Mountains and the isolated Choam border crossing to Thailand.
World Heritage site Preah Vihear has been the subject of controversies and even of army fighting between Cambodia and Thailand. With Cambodia announcing to withdraw military troops stationed in the surroundings, Preah Vihear could be rapidly back on the tourism stage.It has been a contentious subject between Cambodia and Thailand for almost a century. The beautiful Khmer Temple of Preah Vihear, a 11th century jewel of Angkor architecture had the misfortune to be on a tip of a promontory just on the border line delimiting Cambodia and Thailand.
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