By Deveen Balasuriya
For over the decades, border between Thailand and Cambodia has been more than just a line on a map. It has been a fault line where history, culture, and politics collide. That tension erupted violently again in mid-2025, resulting in the bloodiest cross-border fighting between the two countries in over a decade. What started as a simmering dispute over territory and ancient temples has turned into a full-scale military confrontation. Both sides are using rockets, fighter jets, and heavy artillery while trading accusations and refusing to back down.
A Dispute Rooted in History
To understand the 2025 crisis, we need to look back more than a century. In the early 1900s, French colonial authorities-controlled Cambodia, while Thailand stayed independent. The Franco-Siamese treaties from that time outlined the border roughly, but they left some sections unclear, which led to future disputes. When Cambodia gained independence in the 1950s, it quickly clashed with Thailand over ownership of the Preah Vihear Temple, an 11th-century Khmer monument located on a steep cliff in the Dangrek Mountains.
In 1962, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) awarded the temple to Cambodia, but Thailand never fully accepted the ruling. The issue flared up again in 2008 when Cambodia registered Preah Vihear as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. National pride and political tensions rose, resulting in deadly border clashes in 2011. Even after the ICJ reaffirmed Cambodia’s ownership in 2013, the surrounding land remained contested.
The current fighting does not focus on Preah Vihear itself, but a mix of unclear borders, cultural heritage, and nationalist politics is driving violence at new hotspots, especially at Chong Bok, Tamon Thom, and other temple sites along the 817-kilometer border.
The Spark in 2025
The year began with an uneasy calm, but the peace was fragile. On May 28, a deadly skirmish broke out in the Emerald Triangle, where Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos meet. This conflict left one Cambodian soldier dead. Both sides blamed each other for firing first.
Tensions increased in July when two Thai patrols hit landmines in disputed areas of the border, on July 16 and again on July 23. One Thai soldier lost his leg. Bangkok accused Cambodian forces of laying the mines, a claim that Phnom Penh firmly denied.
The breaking point came just before dawn on July 24. Thai troops reported seeing Cambodian drones near Prasat Tamon Thom, followed by an armed Cambodian patrol close to a Thai base. Gunfire began around 6:30 a.m. and quickly turned into a multi-front battle. Within hours, artillery shells, rocket strikes, and air attacks targeted positions along the frontier.
From Skirmish to Open Warfare
By mid-morning on July 24, Thailand reported that Cambodian forces had fired BM-21 Grad rockets from positions near Prasad Don Tuan, endangering civilian areas. Just 10 minutes later, fighting broke out near Taquai Temple. At around 10:58 a.m., the Royal Thai Air Force entered the conflict, sending F-16 fighter jets to bomb Cambodian command posts at Chong Ma.
The Thai government stated that these strikes were aimed at military sites that were firing rockets into Thai territory. Cambodian officials claimed that Thailand hit civilian areas and cultural sites. Fighting continued throughout the day, with both sides using tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and long-range artillery.
Civilian areas near the border became battlegrounds. Entire communities were forced to flee, displacing over 260,000 people within days. Roads were congested with evacuees carrying whatever they could, trying to find safety deeper inside Thailand or Cambodia.
Nationalism and the Temple Question
Temples like Tamon Thom, Taquai, and Preah Vihear are more than just archaeological sites. They are strong symbols of national identity. Control over these temples carries political weight in both capitals, and neither government can afford to be seen as giving away these heritage sites. This makes compromise politically risky, especially amid economic troubles and public unrest at home.
Why Now? Political Pressure on Both Sides
Analysts note that the latest flare-up is not just about territory; it’s also about politics at home. Thailand’s weak coalition government is struggling to hold onto power amid an economic slowdown and public dissatisfaction. A show of strength at the border may boost nationalist feelings and distract from domestic issues.
Cambodia’s leadership faces similar internal pressures. Rising prices, rural unrest, and criticism of governance have put Prime Minister Hunet under stress. Taking a strong stance against Thailand over national heritage sites resonates with the Cambodian public, especially in rural areas near disputed temples.
The Human Cost
Behind the statistics and military maneuvers is a humanitarian crisis. In just a week of fighting, at least 30 people have been killed, including civilians on both sides, and over hundreds have been injured. More than 160,000 villages have been destroyed or abandoned from the both sides. Schools, markets, and farms have been shelled. Refugee camps are appearing near provincial capitals, straining local resources.
Many displaced families have shared their harrowing escapes under fire. In Cambodia’s Preah Vihear province, locals accuse Thai forces of trying to seize cultural landmarks passed down from their ancestors. In Thailand’s border provinces, residents describe fleeing as rockets fell from across the border.
The psychological toll is severe. Farmers cannot work their fields, traders have lost cross-border markets, and children have been taken out of schools. Even if a ceasefire is reached, rebuilding trust and livelihoods will take years.
Diplomatic and Political Crosscurrents
China Steps Forward
On August 14, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met separately and then together with his Thai and Cambodian counterparts during the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation meeting in Yunnan province. China offered to help mediate, promising support for landmine clearance. Wang urged both sides to rebuild mutual trust and reopen border crossings. He also linked these discussions to wider economic ties. Such as with Thailand, he pushed for quicker progress on the China-Thailand railway and more policy support for Chinese investment, and with Cambodia, he praised Phnom Penh’s crackdown on online gambling and cross-border crime, offering continued political support.
U.S. Pressure
In the first week of fighting, U.S. news report that President Donald Trump had personally called the Thai and Cambodian prime ministers, and that he warned that the U.S. would withhold trade deals until the fighting stopped. But later the United States imposed a 19% tariffs tax on imports from Thailand and Cambodia which imposed from August, 7. This is lower than the 36% they initially encountered. And also U.S. News report that, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that American officials are in Malaysia to support peace efforts.
Malaysia’s Role
As ASEAN’s 2025 chair, Malaysia has been key in bringing peace between Thailand and Cambodia. It hosted emergency ceasefire talks in Kuala Lumpur and pushed for dialogue even while clashes occurred just hours before the negotiations. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced the truce in Putrajaya with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. He called it “a vital first step towards de-escalation.” Under the agreement, both militaries agreed to stop troop movements and return victims of the violence. By early August, displaced residents began to return home. Commanders from both sides publicly reaffirmed their commitment to maintain the ceasefire. Malaysia’s mediation has been seen as an important step to prevent further escalation and restore stability along the tense border.
Why This Conflict Matters
While the fighting is local, its implications are regional. The Thailand-Cambodia border crosses trade routes, cultural sites, and communities that have lived side by side for generations. Prolonged conflict could disrupt Mekong regional trade, slow ASEAN integration, and invite greater outside influence from global powers seeking to mediate or exploit the situation.
Moreover, the significance of ancient temples like Preah Vihear and Tamon Thom goes beyond their stone structures. They represent national identity, remind us of past empires, but unfortunately it serves as flashpoints for modern disputes.
It’s not over: A Conflict Between Past and Future
The Thailand-Cambodia border crisis of 2025 is not just another flare-up. It is the result of unresolved history, contested heritage, and political calculation. The violence in July and August has demonstrated how quickly old grievances can erupt into serious conflict when national pride, political rivalries, and military readiness come together.
Whether the guns will fall silent in the coming days depends on more than just a signed ceasefire. It will take consistent political will, reliable monitoring, and perhaps the hardest thing to find in this dispute mutual trust. For the moment, the people living along the Thailand-Cambodia border can only hope that the latest round of talks will bring them more than just a temporary break in the fighting.
Deveen Balasuriya is a 21-year-old law undergraduate at the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU).
Factum is an Asia-Pacific focused think tank on International Relations, Tech Cooperation, Strategic Communications, and Climate Outreach accessible via www.factum.lk.
The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the organization’s.
