Time and again, the Preah Vihear temple is the focus of border disputes and symbolises the tension between the two Southeast Asian nations of Thailand and Cambodia. Despite a clear judgement by the International Court of Justice in 1962, which awarded Preah Vihear to Cambodia, Thailand still rejects parts of the border demarcation to this day. There have been repeated military clashes, most recently in 2008 and 2011, but the current escalation threatens to significantly surpass previous conflicts – not least due to the use of air power and targeted attacks on civilian infrastructure near the border.

Course of the escalation: from landmines to air strikes

May 2025: An exchange of fire in the so-called Emerald Triangle (border triangle of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia), in which a Cambodian soldier is killed, marks the beginning, with both sides claiming to have acted in self-defence.

June 2025: The conflict shifted to trade: Cambodia stopped Thai fruit imports and tourism connections to casinos near the border. Thailand and Cambodia reduce the maximum length of stay for nationals of the other country and the opening hours of the Friendship Bridge in Sakaeo are shortened.

1 July: Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is suspended after a phone call with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen becomes public in which, among other things, the Thai army is criticised.

16 July: Several Thai soldiers are seriously injured during a patrol – presumably by a landmine. Bangkok accuses Cambodia of laying the mine, Phnom Penh denies it.

23 July: A mine explosion in disputed territory injures five Thai soldiers, all border crossings are closed.

24 July: There are exchanges of fire at the Ta Muan Thom temple, both sides accuse each other of an attack. Cambodia deploys BM-21 missiles and the conflict spreads to the Ta Kwai temple near the border and the villages of Chong Bok, Khao Phra Wihan, Chong An Ma and Chong Chom. Thailand says it is deploying F-16 fighter jets against military targets along the disputed section of the border. Further Cambodian B21 missiles hit civilian targets on Thai soil. At least eleven civilians are killed. Around 40,000 people in the region are evacuated.

Networks of interests: What lies behind the temple

There are various interests behind the military escalation:

• Political instability in Thailand: The suspension of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra after the talks with Hun Sen (father of the current Prime Minister Hun Manet) provides an opportunity for Thailand’s military to position itself more prominently. Changing civilian and military governments has a long history in Thailand.
• Cambodia’s dynastic politics: Officially, Hun Manet rules, but in reality, father Hun Sen – former prime minister – has regained considerable influence.
• Economic interests: Trade routes, illegal transport of raw materials and lucrative crossings for tourism (e.g. casino zones) along the border are strategically relevant for both countries. The conflict is also a struggle for control of these resources.
• Domestic political interests: Thailand’s and Cambodia’s economies are stagnating, nationalism is fading, and victory over a long-standing conflict would strengthen domestic political legitimacy.

Travel advice: postpone the journey to the temple

According to the Federal Foreign Office, travelling to the entire Cambodian-Thai border region is strongly advised against. This applies to parts of the provinces:

• Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey, Battambang, Pailin and Banteay Meanchey (Kambodscha)
• Surin, Sisaket, Ubon Ratchathani, Buriram und Sakaeo, but also Chanthaburi and Trat (Thailand)

The land borders are completely closed, which mostly affects Thai tourists visiting Cambodian casinos, while international tourists are often only day trippers or backpackers. Nevertheless, tourist destinations close to the border (temples) and local nature parks should be avoided at all costs

So far, the conflict has certainly not spread any further and a further escalation cannot be in the interests of either country, which are heavily dependent on tourism. Accordingly, air traffic to all major cities is unaffected.

Conclusion: A recurring conflict around a temple

An escalation between Thailand and Cambodia is not new, only the extent to which it was conducted on 24/07/25. An extension of the border conflict would be associated with temporary losses in tourism for both countries, which is why there can be no interest in escalating or prolonging it further. And yet it cannot be ruled out that both nations will take their cue from how they deal with other well-known international conflicts and accept temporary damage to their image in order to draw new borders in a long-simmering conflict.

Der Beitrag Border escalation at the Preah Vihear temple: a better understanding of the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia erschien zuerst auf A3M Global Monitoring.