By the end of May 2025, the border situation between Thailand and Cambodia suddenly became tense, attracting high attention from the outside world. This incident, which started with a sudden exchange of fire, quickly evolved into one of the most sensitive diplomatic events in the relations between the two countries.
The conflict occurred in a disputed area known as the "Emerald Triangle." According to official reports from Cambodia, the incident resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier, followed by a standoff near the border line, with the atmosphere on the border being highly volatile.
The total length of the border between the two countries is about 820 kilometers, some sections of which have historical boundary disputes. These disputes originate from maps drawn during the early 20th century under French Indochina, which do not match the actual control lines.
The most famous dispute is over the sovereignty of the Preah Vihear Temple, which has triggered conflicts several times from 2008 to 2011, resulting in casualties and damage to cultural relics. Although the situation has stabilized in recent years, the dispute has never been fully resolved.
After the conflict, Cambodia quickly took tough measures, including blocking some border ports, cutting off Thai electricity and network signal access, suspending the broadcast of Thai dramas and other cultural products, and even sparking a boycott of Thai products in some areas of the capital, Phnom Penh.
At the same time, Thailand also ordered its border troops to enter a state of high alert and shortened the opening hours of several ports. In social media and cyberspace, the nationalist sentiments of netizens from both countries continued to escalate, with friction extending from the border to diplomatic and public opinion levels.
Although the situation was extremely tense at one point, preliminary agreements to de-escalate were reached in early June through diplomatic efforts. According to the results of high-level talks held from June 7 to 8, Thailand and Cambodia agreed to withdraw their border troops to the "peaceful positions" designated in the 2024 agreement and to initiate a dual-track political and military mechanism to prevent further clashes.
On June 14, the two sides held a joint border committee meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to discuss future border management mechanisms, showing a certain degree of easing posture.
However, the fundamental issues of the conflict remain unresolved. Cambodia has called for the intervention of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to seek legal arbitration to clarify the border ownership. Thailand, on the other hand, insists on handling the dispute through bilateral negotiations, believing that involving an international third party would undermine national sovereignty and negotiation dominance. This disagreement leaves considerable uncertainty in the peace negotiations.
This border conflict not only reflects the stubbornness of historical issues but also exposes the diplomatic challenges faced by both countries under current domestic political pressure.
Thailand is currently striving to promote economic recovery, while Cambodia is in the process of reorganizing after the change of government. Any form of border crisis could potentially be used as a tool to divert domestic conflicts. In this context, nationalism and security issues are politically amplified, making the border dispute even more complex and difficult to resolve.
The future establishment of a genuine border trust mechanism between Thailand and Cambodia depends not only on the political will of both sides but also on civil communication and the mediation and support of the international community. After all, economic and personnel exchanges between the two countries are becoming more frequent, and peace and cooperation are key to regional stability. If this crisis can be used as an opportunity to establish a normalized border consultation and conflict resolution mechanism, it may ultimately serve as a chance to deepen regional cooperation rather than a new starting point for fractures.
