Phu Makhuea

About

Phu Makhuea (as it is known in Thai) or Phnom Trap (as it is known in Khmer) is a hill located on the Cambodia–Thailand border, near Preah Vihear. The area is contested by both Thailand and Cambodia, and has been a major flashpoint in the 2008–2013 and 2025 border conflicts between the two countries. During the 2008 conflict, a request for interpretation was submitted to the International Court of Justice, which ruled that its 1962 ruling which had awarded sovereignty over the temple to Cambodia did not extend to Phnom Trap, the dispute over which would need to be solved through bilateral means. The hill saw extensive fighting after clashes erupted in the 2025 conflict.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.