An mamaye yankin da Annamites, Cham, Khmer, da Thai a lokacin farkon tarihinsa, amma babu wani daular da ta taɓa kawo yankin a ƙarƙashin ikon tsakiya. Daga ƙarni na 13 ko a baya har zuwa ƙarni na 19, ƙauyukan tsaunuka galibi 'yan Khmer, Lao, da Thai ne suka mamaye yankin. An ci yankin da sarakunan Laotian na cikin gida a ƙarni na 18 sannan kuma ta hanyar Thai a ƙarni na 19. Yankin ya shiga cikin Indochina ta Faransa a 1893, kuma mulkin mallaka ya maye gurbin cinikin bayi.
Yaren Khmer