Hostilities between the two nations have spanned centuries, but the origin for the current conflict can be traced to the French colonial era
In 1863, as European nations scrambled to claim countries in Asia and Africa for colonial exploitation — Malaysia among them — Cambodia was claimed as a protectorate by France, while Thailand, then named Siam, retained independence.
However, Siam was forced to make concessions to ensure its independence. One of these concessions was the
1907 Franco-Siamese treaty, which saw Thai territories ceded to France and administered as part of Cambodia.
Notably, the
Preah Vihear province was among the territories ceded. This province was home to
Preah Vihear temple, an ancient site built by the Khmer (Cambodian) Empire in the early 9th century about a thousand years ago.
Originally Hindu, the temple had since become a site of great importance to the Cambodian people. And while Cambodia continues to use the French-drawn map as a reference for where nations begin and end along the 800km-length of the Thai-Cambodian border,
Thailand contests the validity of these borders.
Thailand, however, argues that the border should follow the watershed line, which would place the territory within Thai borders.
Although Thailand eventually accepted that the Preah Vihear temple itself belongs to Cambodia, it maintains that parts of the surrounding province are Thai territory
When World War II came to Southeast Asia, Thailand allied with the Japanese Empire — and in the process, it
that were ceded to France decades ago, including Preah Vihear.
And when Japan surrendered at the end of the war, Thailand was forced to return lands to France.
Ultimately, upon regaining independence in 1953, Cambodia took its territorial claims to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which later ruled that the temple was located on Cambodian soil.
In 2008, Cambodia successfully applied for the Preah Vihear temple to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a move Thailand objected to
Thailand claimed the listing would be interpreted as an affirmation of Cambodian sovereignty over what it considered to be disputed borders.
Thailand and Cambodia subsequently sent troops to the border region — and
erupted between Thai and Cambodian soldiers, with two Thai soldiers and one Cambodian soldier wounded.
More firefights and violent incidents intermittently occurred over the next several years — including the
by Thailand in 2011.
Despite the deaths of multiple civilians and combatants alike over the years, the level of violence did not escalate into all-out war, as de-escalations usually occurred quickly after outbursts of violence.
n 2011, Cambodia requested that the ICJ interpret the 1962 judgement, citing that Thailand was not respecting Cambodia's territorial sovereignty over the Preah Vihear region. And so, once again, the case was brought before the ICJ.
On
, the ICJ ruled in favour of Cambodia, obliging Thailand to withdraw police and military forces from the contested regions. And prior to the verdict, hundreds of Thai civilians had already left the region in anticipation that the ruling would be unfavorable to them.
Now, a series of violent incidents have pushed the unresolved conflict, once again, to the brink
It didn't begin in July, but rather on 28 May 2025 — when a skirmish at the border region, claimed by both countries as their own, left one Cambodian soldier dead,
.
Thailand's then-prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra subsequently held talks with Cambodia's Senate President Hun Sen in an effort to defuse tensions — but she came under fire when the latter posted a recording of the phone call on his Facebook page, in which she appeared deferential to the Cambodian president and criticised her own army.
On 1 July, she was suspended from office, with her deputy Phumtham Wechayachai becoming acting prime minister.
All the while, tensions continued to simmer — until 23 July, when, as per
, a land mine explosion at Ubon Ratchathani province injured five Thai soldiers, with one losing a leg.
The same day, Thailand downgraded its diplomatic status with Cambodia, recalling its ambassador from Phnom Penh, and expelling Cambodia's own ambassador from Bangkok.
The following day, military conflict began anew
Amid military strikes, longstanding nationalist rhetoric has also been fomented by both sides.
A
case was submitted to the ICJ by Cambodia last month, but the results of this remain to be seen. Thailand maintains that it does not recognise the jurisdiction of the ICJ.
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