The simmering border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia has erupted into deadly clashes that threaten to spiral into full- scale war. Since early July 2025, artillery barrages and infantry skirmishes have intensified around the disputed Preah Vihear temple complex and adjacent border areas. At least 60 people, including soldiers and civilians, have died, while more than 200,000 Cambodians have fled their homes, seeking shelter from relentless shelling and gunfire.
Both nations are ruled by authoritarian regimes relying on nationalist rhetoric to rally domestic support, as their militaries face off in a conflict rooted in colonial legacies, nationalist mythologies, and regional power struggles. This escalating crisis exposes how ordinary people pay the highest price when militarized governments clash over contested history and territory.
A Volatile Flashpoint: Recent Fighting and Human Toll
Since July, the border region straddling Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province and Cambodia’s Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey provinces has witnessed intense military activity. The Thai army has deployed heavy artillery, armored units, and infantry forces into disputed areas, citing incursions by Cambodian troops. Phnom Penh has responded by mobilizing its own forces, digging in with defensive positions and conducting counter- bombardments.
Local hospitals on both sides report dozens of casualties among soldiers and civilians, with numerous injuries from shelling, sniper fire, and landmines. The pretext of defending “sovereign territory” has resulted in devastating consequences for villages situated along the border. Families have abandoned farms, markets have closed, and schools have shuttered. Refugee camps in northern Cambodia are overwhelmed, struggling to provide adequate food, water, and medical aid to tens of thousands displaced in just weeks.
Eyewitnesses describe scenes of panic and destruction. “We heard explosions all night. Our house was damaged, and we fled with just what we could carry,” said a mother in a refugee camp near Preah Vihear city.
Colonial Borders and the Preah Vihear Dispute
The roots of this conflict lie deep in colonial history. France’s drawing of borders in Indochina during the early 20th century carved up Khmer lands without regard for local communities or historical territories. The boundary between Thailand and Cambodia bisects regions where Khmer people have lived for generations.
Preah Vihear temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site, built in the 11th century by the Khmer Empire, is the symbolic and literal epicenter of this dispute. In 1962, the International Court of Justice ruled that the temple itself sits on Cambodian soil, but surrounding areas remain contested. Thailand rejects parts of this ruling, claiming adjacent land historically belonged to Thai kingdoms, feeding nationalist narratives, despite the fact is not culturally Thai at all.
Authoritarianism and Nationalism: Tools of Control
Both countries are governed by regimes that use nationalism and military strength as pillars of their rule. Thailand’s military junta , in power since 2014, maintains control through repression of dissent, co-opted elections, and a tight alliance with royalist elites. Economic slowdown and popular discontent have pushed the regime to lean harder on nationalist rhetoric.
Cambodia’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) has long maintained its grip on power by promoting a narrative of stability and development after decades of conflict. Former Prime Minister Hun Sen often emphasized this, saying in 2018, “Without the CPP, Cambodia would still be a battlefield.” The party has portrayed itself as the guarantor of peace and stability following the Khmer Rouge years, a myth that has helped suppress dissent and legitimize authoritarian rule.
However, this fragile myth faces a severe test. The ongoing border conflict threatens to shatter the image of peace the CPP has carefully constructed. Hun Manet, the new prime minister and Hun Sen’s son, recently stated, “We will defend every inch of our territory and our cultural heritage.” The escalation risks turning that promise into devastation.
Humanitarian Consequences
The true victims of this dispute are the civilians caught in the crossfire. Over 200,000 Cambodians have been forced to flee their homes, joining swelling refugee populations in overcrowded camps with inadequate supplies and medical care. Many are subsistence farmers who have lost their livelihoods and face bleak futures.
Children have been pulled out of schools, health services are stretched thin, and landmines make returning home perilous. Trauma from violence and displacement is pervasive. International aid agencies warn that the humanitarian situation could deteriorate rapidly without a ceasefire.
Political Calculations Behind the Escalation
This spike in violence is no accident. Thailand’s junta uses the crisis to stir nationalist sentiment amid a stagnating economy and rising dissent. Militarization of the border diverts public attention and reinforces the military’s role as protector of the nation.
Cambodia’s leadership is consolidating power after decades under Hun Sen, needing to appear strong and sovereign to a population conditioned to view Thailand as a historical aggressor. The ruling party’s control over media and political institutions means dissenting voices are muted.
Regional diplomacy has been largely ineffective. ASEAN’s principle of non-interference hampers unified mediation, while China, Cambodia’s primary ally, has urged restraint but avoids direct intervention, preferring stability over conflict resolution.
What Comes Next and Who Loses
The outlook is grim. While outright full-scale war is not guaranteed, it remains a dangerous possibility as military forces on both sides dig in and show no signs of retreat. Thailand’s armed forces are better equipped, but Cambodia’s defenders are resolute. The fighting could stagnate into a prolonged, low-intensity conflict with intermittent violence, displacing more civilians and straining regional stability.
International pressure could eventually force a ceasefire, but this would require political will from authoritarian leaders who currently gain legitimacy through nationalist posturing. Absent such a breakthrough, the border risks becoming a militarized fault line, a frozen conflict zone with recurring violence and humanitarian crises.
The ultimate losers are the poor and powerless. Displaced families lose homes, children lose education, and whole communities are shattered. Hun Sen’s promise of peace and “stability” is unraveling as his son inherits a precarious legacy. Thailand’s junta may deepen domestic unrest by escalating nationalist aggression. Neither side truly benefits, but both gamble with human lives to maintain control.
This conflict underscores the dangers when nationalism and authoritarianism intertwine, weaponizing history to justify violence and repression. The temples are symbols, but the real cost is paid in human suffering along a border long defined by colonial divisions and political ambition.