evidence: Preah Vihear—which Thais call Phra Viharn—long predates the modern states of Southeast Asia. Most surviving parts of the temple date from the 11th and 12th centuries, during the golden age of the Khmer Empire. The Khmer people were the direct ancestors of modern Cambodians, who still refer to themselves as Khmers. Their kings constructed the magnificent complex at Angkor and governed much of mainland Southeast Asia, including most of modern-day Thailand (then called Siam). Preah Vihear bears the influence of Hinduism, the predominant religion of Khmer monarchs at that time. It also reflects elements of Buddhism, which later became ascendant in the surrounding region. Despite its Khmer origins, Preah Vihear has not always been under Cambodian control. The area it occupies has sometimes been governed or occupied by Siamese kingdoms and the modern Thai state that succeeded them. [...] At the ICJ, Thailand maintained that the 1907 French survey was not legally binding, because it was never blessed by the mixed commission. They also cited their de facto control of the temple—which is much more easily accessible from the Thai side of the border—as evidence that they believed Preah Vihear belonged to Siam. Nevertheless, the ICJ found that the Thais had acquiesced in the French demarcation of the border for almost half a century and issued a 9 to 3 decision in favor of Cambodia in 1962.