Cambodia Considers Repair of Ancient Ou Chik Bridge Damaged by Thai Bombing

The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts is considering the possibility of resuming the repair of the ancient Ou Chik Bridge, also known as Spean Toup, after its progress was halted and it suffered damage from Thai bombing at the end of 2025. The Spean Toup or Ou Chik Bridge, located in Cheung Tnuon Village, Cheung Tnuon Commune, Chongkal District, Oddar Meanchey Province, was damaged by bombs dropped from Thai military aircraft during the invasion of Cambodia at the end of 2025. The bombing destroyed the northern and southern abutments, severely impacting the main structure of the bridge and 68 sections of its railings. Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, Ms. Phoeung Sakuna, recently inspected the bridge's condition on September 12, 2026. It is noteworthy that Spean Toup, or Ou Chik Bridge, was constructed during the reign of King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. It is recognized as the longest bridge from King Jayavarman VII's era, measuring 150 meters in length, 10 meters in height, and 16.40 meters in width, featuring 28 arched openings. The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts had undertaken eight phases of conservation and restoration work on the bridge since 2015. Article by Hun Sirivaddhan The post Ministry of Culture considering repairing Ou Chik ancient bridge again after being destroyed by Thai bombs appeared first on Kampuchea Thmey Daily.