On July 24, 2025, the long-standing Thailand-Cambodia border dispute escalated into the worst confrontation between the two countries in over a decade. After a period of relative calm, tensions began rising in May 2025, and boiled over in July, following a series of incidents. The conflict, rooted in historical disputes over colonial-era borders, resulted in at least 38 deaths, mostly civilians, and reportedly displaced over 300,000 civilians in both countries. After five days of fighting, the two sides agreed to a ceasefire, which is currently holding, although the Thai military accused Cambodia of launching ‘indiscriminate attacks’ shortly after the ceasefire took effect. Cambodia rejected the allegations, stating that its forces had strictly adhered to the ceasefire.

Cambodian and Thai military commanders met as agreed on July 29, 2025, and committed to avoiding troop movements that could cause misunderstandings. Both sides committed to establishing a joint boundary committee, with an initial meeting scheduled for August 4th, 2025. The foreign and defense ministers of Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia are also required to develop mechanisms to implement and monitor the truce.

The ceasefire agreement was mediated by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who hosted the talks as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), alongside the United States and China. The intervention of US President Donald Trump was credited with pushing the Thai government, who were initially reluctant to accept mediation, to agree to the talks, as Trump had threatened to freeze trade talks with both countries ‘until such time as the fighting stops,’ and warned both nations that they faced a 36% tariff on exports to the US without a deal.

The conflict drew swift reactions from ASEAN, Cambodia’s key supporter China, and the US, Thailand’s defense treaty ally. US and Chinese diplomats worked alongside ASEAN, with both signaling that continued clashes were unacceptable. Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet acknowledged China’s efforts, while also thanking Trump for his support. Acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai also thanked Trump, acknowledging his role in facilitating the ceasefire. Cambodia also urgently requested a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting. The UNSC met on July 25th, 2025, in a closed-door session, and all 15 member states urged both sides to de-escalate, exercise maximum restraint, and resolve the dispute peacefully. The UNSC also encouraged ASEAN to facilitate a resolution and supported Malaysia’s mediation efforts.

Background of the dispute between Thailand and Cambodia

The conflict was an escalation of a long-standing territorial dispute between Thailand and Cambodia that has its roots in the 1904-1907 Franco-Siamese treaties, which defined borders between the Kingdom of Siam (modern Thailand) and colonial French Indochina (modern Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam). The dispute is primarily centered around the area near the 11th century Preah Vihear Temple. The maps, drawn by French cartographers, deviated from the watershed line of the Dangrek Mountains in certain areas, most notably around Preah Vihear, which was shown on the map as lying in Cambodia. Thailand argues this was a map error and that the treaty’s text implied the temple was on Thai soil.

After Cambodia gained independence in 1953, Thai forces occupied the temple, and Cambodia brought the dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In 1962, the ICJ ruled that Preah Vihear lies in Cambodian territory, reasoning that Thailand had accepted the map and had not officially objected to it for decades. However, the surrounding land remained contested due to the ICJ’s ruling not explicitly demarcating the border. The dispute reignited in 2008 when Cambodia successfully listed Preah Vihear as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thailand’s government initially supported the bid; however, nationalist opponents accused the government of giving away Thai territory. The country subsequently contested the listing, arguing that it implied Cambodian sovereignty over the surrounding land, which Thailand claims. This set the stage for a series of border clashes from 2008 to 2011, initially around Preah Vihear. In 2011, conflict erupted around two other ancient temples that are claimed by both nations. The fighting in 2011, the most intensive until 2025, prompted international mediation and ended with a ceasefire in May 2011, and in December 2011, both countries withdrew their troops from the disputed areas near Preah Vihear.

Debates over ICJ rulings in Thailand and Cambodia

Cambodia considers the 1907 map and ICJ rulings as validating its claims, asserting that it is defending its sovereign territory and adhering to international law. Cambodia has repeatedly called for third-party mediation and has criticized Thailand’s reluctance to accept outside arbitration. The country approached the ICJ in 2011, requesting the court to clarify the territory covered by the 1962 judgment. In 2013 the ICJ unanimously affirmed Cambodia’s sovereignty over the entire territory of the Preah Vihear promontory and ordered Thailand to withdraw its forces. The decision sparked mass demonstrations in Thailand and opposition figures used the ruling to criticize the government, framing it as a loss of national sovereignty. While Thailand acknowledged the 1962 ICJ ruling, it was not satisfied with the 2013 ICJ clarification and has not accepted ICJ jurisdiction for border demarcation beyond Preah Vihear.

The country has since then maintained the position that the issue should be resolved through joint committees or negotiations, not international courts, and it no longer recognizes the ICJ’s jurisdiction in subsequent cases. This position has been upheld by successive Thai governments and when Cambodia announced a plan in June 2025 to file a case at the ICJ again, to seek a ruling on unresolved border sections, Thailand responded by reaffirming its official position that it does not recognize the ICJ’s jurisdiction in this matter. Thailand’s refusal to recognize the court’s jurisdiction means an ICJ judgment might not be enforceable unless the country agrees to participate.

Domestic political fallout in Thailand

The dispute also resulted in political fallout in Thailand, with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra suspended from office on July 1, 2025, following a leaked phone call with Cambodia’s former Prime Minister Hun Sen. In June 2025, seeking to diffuse the situation after the border tensions had escalated in May 2025, Shinawatra called Hun Sen, referred to him during the call as ‘uncle’, and appeared to criticize a Thai general. Hun Sen, the current president of Cambodia’s Senate, is the father of the country’s current Prime Minister, Hun Mane, and still wields significant influence, having ruled Cambodia for nearly four decades. The leaked call sparked public anger in Thailand, where the military holds significant political power and influence. Shinawatra’s remarks were perceived as disrespectful to the armed forces and as an insult to the Thai monarchy as military appointments are made by royal decree. Hun Sen later released the full audio of their conversation and further inflamed the situation by predicting Shinawatra would not be prime minister within three months. Hun Sen’s release of the full recording and his public taunting of Shinawatra – predicting her downfall – was seen as a deliberate act to embarrass Shinawatra and assert his influence, further fueling nationalist backlash in Thailand. According to reporting by Reuters, Hun Sen appeared to take charge in Cambodia’s response during the recent border conflict.

Closing thoughts: Thailand-Cambodia conflict in July 2025

The July 2025 conflict is a resurgence of a deep-rooted dispute, fueled by territorial issues and ingrained historical grievances. While the ceasefire is holding, it was agreed under international pressure and its durability remains questionable. Achieving lasting peace would require sustained dialogue and while both governments publicly profess that they seek a peaceful resolution, mutual distrust and nationalist politics have often undermined negotiations. The political fallout of Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s phone call with Cambodia’s long time ruler Hun Sen reflects the added complexity of entanglement of family-based political networks in both countries.

Ultimately, lasting peace will likely require both sides to engage in dialogue and demarcate the border definitively, but this may require third-party arbitration, given the history of mistrust. However, Thailand has not accepted the jurisdiction of the ICJ since the 1960s and reiterates that any disputes should be resolved through bilateral mechanisms rather than international courts. As it stands, the Thailand-Cambodia border remains a sensitive flashpoint and tensions remain very high, though the ceasefire and the initial talks and are considered ‘a vital first step’ in de-escalating the situation and restoring peace and security.

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