The name "Siem Reap" can be translated to mean 'defeat of Siam' (siem in Khmer), and is commonly taken as a reference to an incident in the centuries-old conflict between the Siamese and Khmer kingdoms, although this is probably apocryphal.
The name "Siem Reap" translates to "defeat of Siam" in Khmer, but its historical significance is likely based on an apocryphal tale from a long-standing conflict between the Siamese and Khmer kingdoms.