Thailand and Cambodia on edge as border tensions threaten peace: ‘war is not good for anyone’

Thailand warned of military action against Cambodia amid nationalist protests and diplomatic efforts to ease the border crisis

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Thai police officers stand guard in front of the Cambodian embassy in Bangkok on Friday. Photo: Reuters

Published: 1:22pm, 6 Jun 2025Updated: 6:00pm, 6 Jun 2025

Tensions along the Thailand-Cambodia border escalated on Friday, more than a week after a deadly frontier clash, with the Thai army warning of its readiness to launch a “high-level operation” and nationalists accusing the government of Paetongtarn Shinawatra of being too friendly with Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet.

Cambodia has said it will go to the World Court (ICJ) to help resolve a dispute over the so-called Emerald Triangle boundary, after a firefight with Thai troops last week that resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier.

Thailand has vowed to defend its territorial integrity and asserts that the Cambodian patrol was on its side of the border in Ubon Ratchatani province – a claim denied by Cambodia.

Paetongarn has sought to de-escalate a crisis while also addressing accusations that her government has struggled to respond effectively to a potentially escalating border situation.

On Friday, she told reporters that “the situation is under control and all units and parties – both the military and the government – have been in constant consultation before taking any actions.”

Still, she faces added scrutiny as her family – headed by patriarch Thaksin Shinawatra – are famously close with Cambodian strongman Hun Sen, whose son Hun Manet serves as prime minister, but is perceived as merely a figurehead in a government largely influenced by his father.

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