Sokrithy Im

Im Sokrithy អុឹម សុខរិទ្ធី (b. 30 April 1972, Phnom Penh) is a Cambodian archaeologist and historian, a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Archaeology, Royal University of Fine Arts, (since 2002), a Deputy Director Apsara Authority (since 2012), and a researcher on a range of subjects related to the Angkorian period and the history of Siem Reap area. 

After obtaining a BA in archaeology at Phnom Penh Royal University of Fine Arts (RUFA) in 1995, he joined for two years (1996−97) the special research program (under the supervision of Professor Georges Condominas) Formation à la Recherché de l’Asie Méridionale et Orientale (FRAMO), Université Paris VI, and received a MA in History from École des Hautes Etudes en Science Sociales (EHESS), Paris, in 1998. 

Since 2002, Im Sokrithty has worked with the World Heritage Site of Angkor as APSARA Head of Archaeological Research (2002−4), Director of the Department of Land and Habitat Management (2009−2012), Director of Conservation of the Monuments in Angkor Part and Preventive Archaeology (since 2019), Deputy Director in charge of Communication (2013−4), and Director of Angkor Training Center. He was co-director of the Angkor Road Project (LARP), a joint Cambodian-Thai Cross-Border Research Project (2005−2012) granted the Thailand Research Fund Best Research in 2013. He was also Head of Cultural Research Unit, Department of Agriculture and Development (2005−2008); Head of Archaeological Research, Department of Culture and Research (2002−2004); and Head of Conservation Unit, Department of Monument and Archaeology (1999−2002).

Over some 25 years, Im Sokrithy’s research has focused on topics including community-based usages of ancient water resources and management systems of Mainland Southeast Asia (2019−2021); cultural relations in mainland Southeast Asia (CRMA), a Cross-Border Archaeological Research Project (2013−2018); Metallurgy of Khmer Empire Project (2010−2019); Archaeology Research Project, APSARA (2004−2019) and Cultural Research Unit, APSARA (1999−2005).

He has given talks and lectures in conferences worldwide, was awarded several academic awards and national medals of merits, and honored with the Royal Order of the Grand Officer of the Kingdom of Cambodia. A member of ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) for Cambodia since 2020, he was a Carpenter Fellow for National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., in the field of educational programs and object conservation through museums. A former civil servant at the Ministry of Culture of Fine Arts (1998−2009), he serves as special adviser for cultural affairs to the Cambodian Council of Ministers since 2009.

Im Sokrithy is married and lives in Siem Reap, with frequent assignments in Phnom Penh.

Publications

• ស្ពានទ័ព [The Military Bridge], Yosothor.
• មុខរបរចិញ្ចឹមជីវិតអ្នកស្រុកអង្គរ [Livelihoods of the Villagers in the Angkor Area], APSARA Research Report, Phnom Penh, 2007.
• “Social values and community context”, Angkor: Heritage Values and Issues, University of Sydney, 2008: 47 – 61.
• [with Federico Caro] ​“Khmer sandstone quarries of Kulen Mountain and Koh Ker: a petrographic and geochemical study”, Journal of Archaeological Science, 2012: 1 – 12.
• [contributor to] Damien Evans, Roland Fletcher et alt., ​“Uncovering archaeological landscapes at Angkor using lidar,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, July 2013, 110(31).
• [With Georgina Lloyd] ​“Chapter 12: Cambodian experiences of the manifestation and management of intangible heritage and tourism at a World Heritage site” in Heritage and Tourism, 1^st edition by Routledge (ebook ISBN: 9780203074619) 2013, p. 228 – 249.
• [contributor to] Paul Tacon, Noël Hidalgo Tan et alt., ​“The global implications of the early surviving rock art of greater Southeast Asia”, Antiquity 88(342), 2014:1050 – 1064.
• [With Surat Lertlum] The Living Angkor Road Project: Connectivity within Ancient Mainland Southeast Asia, newsletter by CSEAS, 2015.
• [with Noël Hidalgo Tan, Heng Than & Khieu Chan] ​“The hidden paintings of Angkor Wat”, Antiquity 88(340), 2014:549 – 565.
• [with H. Than Swe & E. Moore, ​“Myanmar Inscriptions Found at Angkor”, in N. H. Tan (ed.), Advancing Southeast Asian Archaeology 2013 (15−17). SEAMEO-SPAFA, 2015.
• [with S. Tsukawaki, S. Sieng et alt.] ​“Distribution and composition of surface sediments in Lake Tonlé Sap, Cambodia”, Jan. 2000.
• [With OU Kong Kea, PHON Tara, TOUCH Sopheak & LIM Bunhong) ​“The Contribution of Traditional Handicraft to Sustainable communities at Krabei Riel: Towards Safeguarding and Transmitting ICH within Angkor World Heritage Property”, Intangible Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Communities in the Asia-Pacific Region, UNESCO, 2025, p 23 – 40.
• “Settlement in Cambodia: ​“A Reflection on the Indian Concepts of Urbanisation”, in Anna Dallapiccola & Anila Verghese, India and Southeast Asia: cultural discourses, Mumbai, K.R. Cama Oriental Institute, 2017 (ISBN13978-9381324127): 164 – 176.
• “The Source of the Siem Reap River”, Bulletin of the Students of the Department of Archaeology, February 2002, p. 28 – 34.
• “Angkor and its Landscape in the History of Cambodia”, Sophia Journal of Asian, African, and Middle Eastern Studies/​No.37, 2019, p. 078 – 089.

Communications

• “The Angkorian Road Network: A Study by the Existing Angkor Road Project”, EFEO Siem Reap, 31 Oct. 2009.
• លោហកម្មនៃចក្រភពខែ្មរ ៖ ស្ថានីយ៌ស្លដែកមួយប្រទះឃើញនៅអតីតរាជធានីអង្គរ [Metallurgy of the Khmer Empire: Discovery of an iron smelting site in Angkor capital], RUFA, 7 July, 2017. Part I, Part II, Part III & Part IV.
• Recent Discoveries from Angkor Wat and Srah Srang, by SEAMEO SPAFA,20 July 2020.
• ការពិចារណាឡើងវិញនៃបទដ្ឋានជាសាកលលើអង្គរ [Reconsidering the global norm on Angkor], Apsara National Authority Center, 05 February, 2021. Part I, Part II & Part III.
• ប្រព័ន្ធគ្រប់គ្រងទឹកនៅបន្ទាយឆ្មារតាមលទ្ធផលកំណាយថ្មីៗ [An Ancient Water management System: New Archaeological Discovery at Banteay Chhmar], RUFA, 13 January, 2023.
• គំនូរអាថ៌កំបាំងនៅអង្គរវត្ត [The Hidden Paintings of Angkor Wat], interviewed Thmey Thmey Digital Media, September, 2023.
• វីរៈភាពអ្នកដឹកនាំសម័យបុរាណ [Heroic Leaders of the Ancient times], Apsara National Authority Center, Part I, Part II, Part III & Part IV.
• តើការគាំទ្រប្រពៃណីវប្បធម៌អរូបីនៅតំបន់អង្គរមានតម្លៃបែបណា? [What is the Value of Supporting Intangible Cultural Traditions in the Angkor area?], an interview, February, 2022.
• ហេតុអ្វីបុព្វបុរសខ្មែរសាងសង់ប្រាសាទលើភ្នំ ទឹក និងដីរាប? [Why Khmer Ancestors Built on Mountains, Water, and Flat Land?], interviewed Thmey Thmey Digital Media, June 2025. 
• [With Surat Lertlum & Khun‐​Neay Khuon], From Living Angkor Road Project (LARP) to the Cultural Relationship Study of Mainland Southeast Asia Research Center (CRMA), conference, March 2016.