The Apsara National Authority (ANA), a state body tasked with managing the Angkor Archaeological Park, said the Bay Kaek temple restoration project will be completed by the end of September.

It said the temple, located in the west of Angkor Wat, has been under restoration since February to enhance the temple's cultural value and landscape. The restoration was also to maintain a balance between conservation and sustainable development.

Srun Tech, an archaeologist at the Department of Conservation of Monuments in Angkor Park, said the Bay Kaek temple had completely collapsed due to aging, weather, war and human factors.

“So far, the restoration has been ongoing for about five months, with more than 60 per cent of the work completed. This restoration project is scheduled to finish in the next two months,” he said.

To maintain its original shape and architectural form, the restoration team tried to reuse original stones as recommended by experts from the International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Sites of Angkor (ICC-Angkor). But where necessary, they use new stones, which account for between 10 and 15 per cent.