Border Tensions Between Thailand and Cambodia Escalate into Armed Clashes

What Happened?

On Thursday morning, fighting broke out on the Thai-Cambodian border, with much of the strife located near a 1,000-year-old Khmer-Hindu temple named Prasat Ta Moan Thom. Thailand and Cambodia both accused each other of firing first. 

According to a statement from Thailand’s Army, 11 civilians have been killed along with several more injured. The same statement also claimed Cambodia’s army fired two BM-21 rockets at the Thai province of Surin early Thursday morning. An estimated 40,000 people from 86 provinces near the fighting have been forced to evacuate the area.

At the same time a spokesman for Cambodia’s Army said, ‘At 8.46am Thursday, Thai invading forces pre-emptively opened fire on Cambodian troops.’

Why it Matters

If the clashes continue to escalate, there is a risk the situation could grow into a full-blown war between Thailand and Cambodia, which would be disastrous for both countries and its neighbors. As the tensions have increased, nationalist sentiment in both countries has surged, adding pressure on the governments of both countries not to back down or make any concessions to the other.

Border disputes between Thailand and Cambodia have a long history. The root cause of the current tensions stem century old maps which poorly delineate many portions of the 508-mile Thai-Cambodian border. Much of these areas are in remote areas with rugged terrain, and there are only seven permanent crossings along the 508-mile border. 

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The Preah Vihear Temple, which is at the center of the current strife, was built by the Khmer Empire nearly a thousand years ago. In 1962, following a longstanding argument between Cambodia and Thailand over who owned the temple, the International Court of Justice (IJC) in the Hague ruled that the temple is in Cambodia. Thailand rejected the court’s ruling, and there have been a series of disputes and difficulties in the area ever since.

‘Cambodia won at the ICJ and Thailand has been very unhappy about it ever since,’ said Phil Robertson, a Bangkok-based analyst and director of Asia Human Rights and Labor Advocates. In an interview with the Telegraph, Mr. Robertson said ‘There are antiques in the temples, and there are issues of cross-border trade – there have always been issues.’

Thailand’s Prime Minister was recently suspended from office, and the reason was a leaked audio call of her appearing to be deferential to Cambodia’s government on the border issue. That sparked widespread anger in Thailand which led to her suspension. Cambodia may see her suspension as a sign that Thailand’s government is weak and divided and hence feel more emboldened to use force to settle the border situation.

How it Affects You

Clashes between Cambodia and Thailand are nothing new, and in the past such conflicts tended to fizzle out after a few rounds of fighting. The risk of full-scale war remains low, but both sides have been massing troops along the border in 2025, which is something they did not do in previous conflicts. There is a chance things could spiral out of control.