Ta Mok's House Historical Site

• Arrange a visit from Anlong Veng with a knowledgeable local guide so you get historical context and to ensure access to Ta Mok's house and nearby sites.
• Combine the house with other nearby Khmer Rouge locations (Anlong Veng compound areas and burial sites) to understand the wider history rather than viewing the house in isolation.
• Be mindful of sensitivities when photographing or asking residents about recent history; late afternoon light works well for photography and quieter streets.

Known as “the Butcher”, Ta Mok was chief of staff of the Khmer Rouge during the 1960s before rising to command the movement’s Southwestern Zone. During his reign of terror he was responsible for countless atrocities and grew so fearful for his own security that he built himself a house in the middle of a large lake.

Local belief holds that Ta Mok designed the elaborate house himself, fitting it with hidden rooms and escape passages, and that he had the architects executed after each floor was finished so that knowledge of its treasures would never spread. Visiting today is an eerie experience: the house stands in stark contrast to the natural beauty around it, its walls still bearing murals, maps and wildlife scenes. Most of the furnishings have been looted, and only the floor tiles hint at the riches that once filled the home of Brother Number Five.