Thailand-Cambodia Border crisis: Here's everything you need to know about the history of the conflict

Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have erupted into deadly clashes over a century-old border dispute, with airstrikes, landmines, and mass evacuations pushing both nations to the brink. Here's everything you need to know about the conflict

The eruption of fresh hostilities between Thailand and Cambodia has once again brought the spotlight on colonial borders and the result there of. Fighter jets, artillery and landmines have shattered peace in a region steeped in ancient pride, colonial confusion. The world is now witnessing not a military clash but a deep-rooted crisis which has resulted from the tragic inheritance of maps drawn in a distant colonial past.

The Thai-Cambodian border dispute is like many other colonial border disputes.

History

The seeds of conflict were sown in 1907, when French cartographers drew up the maps delineating the boundary between Cambodia which was then a French protectorate and Siam (Thailand). The maps then granted Cambodia ownership to certain temple sites and swaths of forested land along what would become the modern border between the two countries.

However, Thailand never formally agreed to many of these French-drawn demarcations, and ambiguities over specific locations — especially temple sites of immense historical value — persisted through decolonization and the creation of modern nation-states. The most famous and fraught of these is the Preah Vihear Temple, perched on a cliff in the Dângrêk Mountains.

Built in the 9th century under the Khmer Empire, Preah Vihear is spiritually Khmer but geographically closer to Thai lowlands. In 1962, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) awarded the temple to Cambodia. Thailand reluctantly accepted the decision, but the dispute simmered, particularly over the 4.6 square kilometers of surrounding land left undefined by the ruling.

Conflict

The situation reignited dramatically in 2008, when UNESCO designated Preah Vihear a World Heritage Site upon Cambodia’s request. Thailand objected fiercely, arguing that the listing effectively annexed the contested buffer zones. The move triggered nationalist protests in Bangkok, parliamentary upheavals, and deadly border clashes.

Between 2008 and 2011, a series of military confrontations erupted near Preah Vihear, as well as two other disputed temples — Ta Moan Thom and Ta Muen Thom. The most serious escalation came in 2011 when both countries exchanged artillery fire for over a week, resulting in at least 15 deaths and displacing tens of thousands.

In response, the ICJ issued a clarification in 2013, affirming Cambodia’s sovereignty not only over the temple but also its immediate vicinity. Thai forces eventually withdrew, but mistrust and irregular patrol clashes continued in the following years.

Recent Flashpoints and Escalation (2025)

The latest round of violence began in May 2025, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a gunfight near the Emerald Triangle — the junction of Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos. Tensions escalated rapidly after a series of landmine explosions in July injured several Thai soldiers, including one who lost his leg.

Thailand accused Cambodia of laying new Russian-made anti-personnel mines — a charge Cambodia denied, citing the legacy of decades-old unexploded ordnance from earlier conflicts. Diplomatic rhetoric soon gave way to military action.

On July 24, Thailand launched F-16 airstrikes near the Ta Moan Thom temple, claiming retaliation against Cambodian incursions. Cambodia condemned the move as "brutal aggression" and launched artillery fire in response. By July 25, over 40,000 Thai civilians had been evacuated, border crossings were shut, and hospitals in Surin province began relocating patients. One Cambodian and two Thai civilians were confirmed dead.

Diplomacy in Shambles

The violence has devastated bilateral ties. Both countries expelled each other’s ambassadors and suspended diplomatic channels. Cambodia halted imports of Thai goods and banned Thai media, while Thailand closed northeastern trade routes, severing critical economic lifelines.

The crisis has also engulfed Thailand’s internal politics. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended by the Constitutional Court after a leaked phone call with Cambodia’s Hun Sen suggested excessive deference to the Cambodian leader. Her remarks sparked nationalist outrage, with some accusing her of betraying national sovereignty.

Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has taken a more measured stance, emphasizing adherence to international law. Yet with nationalist groups gaining momentum and military leaders refusing to back down, the path to peace appears fraught.

With no formal peace talks on the horizon and both nations entrenched in nationalistic rhetoric, the crisis shows no signs of immediate resolution. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), while nominally involved, remains sidelined as both countries escalate.

If history is to stop repeating itself, diplomacy must move faster than artillery. That will require courage, humility, and a recognition that maps may define borders — but it is people who define peace.