Tensions between Phnom Penh and Bangkok are not abating
As border posts along the 800-kilometre border remain effectively closed, Cambodia announced the introduction of compulsory military service in 2026. The domestic situation in the two countries is fuelling the dispute, as both face strong nationalist headwinds and militaries with extensive interests and power. Thailand’s highest court announced that it will rule on Thaksin Shinawatra on 22 August.
Bangkok (AsiaNews) – Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia continue following an incident on 28 May at their yet-to-be demarcated border that resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier.
While not closing all channels of communication with their Thai political and military counterparts, Cambodian leaders have taken an intransigent line. As of 2026, they plan to introduce conscription in 2026, a clear signal to Bangkok that the government led by Hun Manet means business.
A career soldier educated at the United States Military Academy, Hun Manet served as Commander of the Royal Cambodian Army under his father, Prime Minister Hun Sen, and headed the negotiating team that defused a crisis in 2008 that threatened to provoke open hostilities between the two countries.
All the posts along the more than 800-kilometre shared border are effectively closed, while the situation remains precarious as suggested by Lieutenant General Boonsin Padklang, commander of the Second Army Region, who stressed that his forces are ready for any eventuality or order from Bangkok.
The crisis, which has its roots in historical disputes over strips of land not clearly demarcated in the wake of the end of French rule in Cambodia, has also a lot to do with the domestic situation in the two countries, where strong nationalist pressure is being exerted and where their respective militaries have extensive interests and power.
The attempt by Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and her Pheu Thai party to pass a law allowing gambling establishments in Thailand would have cut into one of Cambodia's main sources of revenue, especially for the country’s ruling elites.
Their respective strategic alliances also play in the background. Cambodia is now very close to the People's Republic of China, while Thailand is more pro-US.
In Thailand, the defection of the second-largest party from Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s parliamentary majority, and her suspension from the post of prime minister decreed on 1 July by the Constitutional Court were met favourably by the country’s progressive opposition and the conservative establishment tied to the military and the monarchy.
In Cambodia, this has been seen as an opportunity to further weaken a neighbour and economic rival, thus fostering a different balance of power.
It is no coincidence that the Thai Supreme Court's decision came after groups opposed to the prime minister and her party began protesting outraged by leaks to the Thai media regarding a telephone conversation she had with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Cambodia’s strongman has had a long and close personal and business relationship with Thakshin Shinawatra, Paetongtarn's father and a former prime minister himself.
In the conversation, the now-suspended prime minister expressed an unflattering opinion of General Padklang.
Meanwhile, the court today announced that it will issue its ruling on former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on 22 August. The older Shinawatra, who turns 76 on 26 July, is accused of violating Section 112 of the Criminal Code, the lèse-majesté law, and the Cybercrimes Act for statements he made in a 2015 interview with South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo.
A conviction for lèse-majesté carries a custodial sentence of three to 15 years.
"We are confident that we will receive justice," said his lawyer Winyat Chartmontree, speaking to reporters, adding that Thaksin will be in the courtroom to hear the ruling.
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