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THAILAND TRAVELS: A Journal   PHANOM DONG RAK (cont'd) Page 4



Below is a short movie showing example of transportation around the Phanom Dong Rak area. My nearest-&-dearest at the helm of two of those transportation devices... scary:-



       


       

  • TOP LEFT: My lovely boss driving the buffalo replacement utility vehicle.
  • TOP RIGHT: There are times when life just gets too stressful out here....
  • BOTTOM LEFT: On the road to ..... does it matter where...?
  • BOTTOM RIGHT: Aom at home.



Khemjira in her traditional Thai dress

INFORMATION: For many years Thailand and neighbouring Cambodia have been at odds over the location of a number of ancient Temples which lie on the border. The Cambodia–Thailand border dispute began in June 2008 as the latest round of a century-long dispute between Cambodia and Thailand involving the area surrounding these 11th-century temples.
The nearest one to Aom’s home is the Ta Muean Thom site (Thom meaning big in Thai).
When I visited the site it was bizarre to see Thai and Cambodian military chatting away with one another, sharing a fag and maybe a joke or two. Equally bizarre to think when the tensions spark off these same soldiers will end up shooting at each other. Crazy. [see photos]
Unfortunately, Phanom Dong Rak lies in the path of the heavy guns when this dispute erupts as it does on occasion. When the dispute does escalate the boom of the big artillery and the sound of the shells whooshing over the house is somewhat disconcerting. The family have evicted themselves on at least 2 or 3 occasions in the past 10 years. Glad to report all is quiet at the moment.





       
                     

  • TOP ROW: With the family at the Ta Muean Thom Site.
  • LOWER ROW: More of the site. The bushes in the background in the right-hand photo is the Cambodian border. I actually walked down the path and into Cambodia without realising. I was eventually challenged by a grinning Cambodian soldier who shook his head and suggested (in broken English) that it's best for me to turn back.

The short movie below has footage of the Ta Muean Thom Site and the transport in the back of a pickup truck back to Phanom Dong Rak. Ending with her ladyship reclining in her horizontal throne.