A temple complex being constructed in the north-east of Thailand has become mired in controversy, after it was claimed the design was an attempt to replicate Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious monument.

The Cambodian government reportedly plans to send archaeologists and temple architects to inspect whether the site is too similar to Angkor Wat, the national symbol depicted on the country’s flag.

Thai authorities, and the abbot behind the construction at the Sihanakhon temple complex, in Buriram province, which has already cost upwards of 100m baht (£2.25m), have denied trying to imitate the temple, saying it has much broader influences.1

Officials from the Cambodian embassy in Thailand visited the site last month, after the hashtags #SaveAngkorWat and #Angkorwatbelongtokhmer were shared across social media. The Cambodian culture ministry subsequently said the design had not copied the design of Angkor Wat or any temple in Cambodia.

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• 1. Khattiya Chaimanee, Buriram’s cultural official, said the design instead reflected the typical features of Khmer stone castles, which could be found across architecture in the south Isan region in the north-east of Thailand. This includes the new temple’s Naga Bridge, a long walkway crafted in the form of Naga, he said. The design was not an exact match, he said: “In this temple, the temple clusters are lined up in one row, from the biggest to the smallest, which is completely different to the landscape of Angkor Wat.” But Khattiya added the original inspiration came from the head monk, who, in a dream, saw himself in a past life as one of the troops who helped build the sprawling Angkor Wat complex, which dates back to the 12th century. “So when he entered the monkhood he would like to resume that,” he said.