THAILAND’S relationship with Cambodia has soured once again. At the center of the storm is the centuries-old temple Preah Vihear, for which Thailand’s neighbor has applied for and gained recognition as a World Heritage site.

Phrea Vihear was the subject of a territorial dispute between Thailand and Cambodia for several years until the International Court of Justice in 1962 officially declared it to be a part of Cambodia.

Tourists access the temple (known as Prasat Khao Phra Viharn in Thai) from the Thai side of the border as it is practically impossible to do so from the Khmer side, the temple sitting on a high rocky promontory overlooking cliffs and tangled jungle below. Some Cambodians reportedly have homes and shops near the temple, which are inside Thai territory.

At least 77 senators, the opposition Democrat Party and several academics, however, took issue with Mr. Noppadon’s act, condemning it as unconstitutional since it did not have the Parliament’s endorsement.

They also feared that Thailand might lose sovereignty over areas near the temple still disputed by the two countries.

The World Heritage Committee began a nine-day meeting in Quebec, Canada, to deliberate on 47 applications seeking World Heritage site recognition including that of the Preah Vihear temple.

The meeting was to end on July 10. 

Noppadon hurriedly flew to Quebec on July 5 to withdraw Thailand’s support for Cambodia’s application. He asked the committee to postpone deliberation on the Preah Vihear case until after Thailand and Cambodia submit a joint application. 

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, meanwhile, has asked the Cambodian government to step up security at the Thai embassy after reports that a 3,000-strong rally was being planned around the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh.

It will be recalled that a mob burned the Thai embassy in the Cambodian capital in 2003 after a Cambodian newspaper falsely alleged that a Thai actress had stated that Angkor Wat belonged to Thailand.

Other Cambodian print and radio media picked up the report, firing up the nationalistic sentiment of Cambodians.

In Phnom Penh, government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said the Cambodian government would not tolerate ‘’anti-government elements’’ making the temple a political issue.

The serenity at the temple and its surroundings belie the political turbulence brewing around it.

The grant of a Heritage site status at this time may signal a protracted turmoil that can only be disadvantageous to tourism and the cordial relations between two neighbors.