Talk:Siem Reap province

2010

"Siem Reap. The name literally means Siamese defeated referring to the victory of the Khmer Empire over the army of the Thai kingdom of Ayutthaya in the 17th Century"

+ Are you sure that this city has beeb called as "Siem Reap" since the 17th Century ? How about "Siam-ma-Rat" ?

The name Siem Reap is original as it´s Khmer meaning refers to; Siam (Thailand) defeated. This is a reference to increasing problems with the Khmer neighbours both to the east and west. The post-Angkorian centuries (late 12th to the early 19th centuries) were dominated by breakup in the wast empire that Cambodia had been, with increasing loss of land and the 17th century was significantly dominated by loss of lands to the Chams or the Vietnamese which overtook the lowlands to the south of the Mekong river where it runs to sea, including Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). Many Khmers today still refer to this area as Kamputchea Krom or lower Cambodia. In the west the victory over the Siamese was shortlived and eventually Siem Reap itself (and the Angkor area) became under the influence of Siam. However, historically the Siamese or the Thais have never really claimed this to be part of their kingdom and conflict over Angkor was minimal and eventually the area was returned to Cambodia in the early 20th century at about the same time when the French where starting their extencive studies of Angkor (often refered to early as the "lost city"). However to this day huge archeological structures dip the Thai landscape along the Cambodian border to the north up to Laos and their undoubtful origin is Khmer. Even as recently as in 2008 there was serious rivalry between the Thai and the Cambodian government over areas such as around the temple of Prasat Preah Vihear (on the Thai/Cambodian border). Khmer Angkorian culture remains one of the most magnificent in the world to date. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kpgje (talk • contribs) 00:37, 30 June 2010 (UTC)