What’s behind the Thailand-Cambodia clashes
Thailand-Cambodia clashes stem from a long-standing border dispute over territories including ancient temples like Preah Vihear and Ta Muen Thom, escalating into deadly violence in 2025.
The conflict traces back over a century to unclear colonial-era borders drawn by France in Cambodia and Siam (now Thailand). Tensions flared periodically, such as in 2008-2011 over Preah Vihear temple, awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice in 1962 but with surrounding land contested by both sides. Recent clashes build on this “love-hate” dynamic despite past efforts like border checkpoints.
Fighting intensified in May 2025 after a Cambodian soldier’s death in the Emerald Triangle, followed by troop buildups, export bans, and a July landmine blast injuring Thai soldiers—blamed on Cambodia as war remnants. Escalation peaked on July 24 with gunfire, rocket attacks, and Thailand’s F-16 airstrikes on Cambodian positions, killing over 15 civilians and soldiers while displacing over 100,000. Both nations accused each other of aggression, expelling diplomats and closing borders.
A brief July ceasefire, endorsed by US President Donald Trump and mediated in Kuala Lumpur, collapsed by November-December 2025 with renewed shelling and airstrikes. Nationalist rhetoric from leaders like Cambodia’s Hun Sen fueled domestic support amid political gambles, rejecting de-escalation talks and trade pacts. China offered mediation, but clashes risk broader war, hitting civilian areas like hospitals and shrines.
