Stunning Miss Grad Angola in the Thai traditional and national dress.

The ceiling of Thep Sirinthrawat Ratchaworawihan Temple, built around the 1800s, Thailand

Two Siamese (Thai) female dancers, Lady Kaew and Lady Choy, enacted as lovers, c. 1900.

The Thai-style painting on the Dhamma cabinet. This is an art line created on a cabinet for Buddhist temples to store Buddhist scriptures from the Ayutthaya era or the 23rd Buddhist Century (17th Century AD). Such high art was often created by a very skilled craftsmen of the era.

Vat Phou is a pre-Angkor Temple Complex located in the Laos region. It is an original architectural model for the popular temple complex named Angkor Wat located in Cambodia. The final image depicted a stone crafted into a crocodile shape and used for human sacrification.

Did you know that since 2018, the Cambodian government officially handed over Angkor to China?

"50 years rent!" Cambodian citizens expressed desperation after learning their government under Hun Sen handed Angkor to China. The government denied the rumour and said it was for "restoration". However, it is believed that with the "restoration", China is to receive most of the profit Angkor made. It is a questionable act whether this has any positive impact on Cambodians, whether this is only a "restoration" and not "adding" and "changing" since the government has recently applied a new "no photo" rule to all visitors.

(Image: the original model of Angkor at the Guimet, Musée national des arts asiatiques, France) Despite claiming to built Angkor itself in the past, Cambodia previously requested restoration assistance from India and Thailand, which was given many times. Angkor was influenced by Indian culture and it used to belong to Siam. Historically, Cambodia was under Siam roughly 400 years before European colonialism. This is the same old story where the West messed up history somewhere else and left the problems behind. Cambodia's 'Khmer Rouge' also erased much of Cambodian's roots. That is why we are witnessing the new generation struggling to find its root and identity.

(Image: China's Angkor) By this time, China had also completely built the Angkor replica back home, gaining many visitors locally. Back in Cambodia, tourists to the original Angkor faced higher ticket prices with poor accommodation. It is not a secret Cambodia is struggling economically and still unsuccessful in gaining tourists in the post-COVID era. Cambodia completely relies on China, which pours its finances into this massive project, meaning Cambodia is walking closer to China's debt trap. And now that China's economy has slowed down rapidly, Cambodia will surely be affected.

Ancient human female skeletons dated more than 2,000 years old from the "Dvaravati Empire, Si Thep city" (located in Thailand) were unearthed along with her personal possessions and a companion dog. "Dvaravati Empire" was the Mother of all civilisation (with influences from India) in mainland southeast Asia that thrived in Central Thailand from the 6th to the 10th centuries (pre-Angkor wat). "Si Thep" was officially added to UNESCO's world heritage list on September 19, 2023, more than one hundred years since it was discovered.

Introducing the "Dvaravati Empire", the Mother of all civilisation (with influences from India) in mainland southeast Asia that thrived in Central Thailand from the 6th to the 10th centuries (pre-Angkor Wat). At its peak, the town was a thriving cultural and trading metropolis that celebrated Hindu and Buddhist beliefs. "Si Thep" was officially added to UNESCO's world heritage list on September 19, 2023, more than one hundred years since it was discovered.

Ban Chiang ware

Pedestal bowls 200 BCE-200 CE

Thailand

A pre-historic stone inscription was created on the occasion of the Si Thep King's accession to the throne. This stone was found in the ancient city called 'Si Thep' of the 'Dvaravati Empire' in central Thailand. The alphabet used is called the 'Pallava' script and was written in the 'Sanskrit' language. The 'Pallava' script was developed in southern India during the Pallava dynasty around 3rd-5th century. The 'Dvaravati Empire' thrived in Central Thailand from the 6th to the 10th centuries (pre-Angkor Wat) and was the most critical empire as it was the Mother of all civilisation in the region. The use of the 'Pallava' script and 'Sanskrit' language to tell stories and record history also proved this region was the strong cradle of South Indian civilisation in the past.