KhmerTimes-Feb 18, 2026
Current border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand are driven not only by the recent military aggression but also by deeper structural, political factors, underpinned by nationalism and domestic politics, say experts. Analysts contend that limited civilian oversight and the significant influence of the military in Bangkok—combined with political calculations among the elite created conditions for the border issue to be leveraged for domestic political advantage. Thailand’s military aggression against Cambodia in July and December 2025 forced more than one million people in both countries to flee late last year and pushed bilateral relations to their “lowest level” in history. Diplomatic ties were downgraded to the level of “Second Chargé d’Affaires”, a move many analysts attribute mainly to Thai domestic politics and rising nationalist sentiment. The root causes of the current Cambodia–Thailand border tensions stem from historical narratives, nationalism, misinformation and unresolved mechanisms under existing bilateral frameworks, according to Pou Sothirak, a retired veteran diplomat who served as Distinguished Senior Advisor to the Cambodian Centre for Regional Studies (CCRS). “The Thai civilian government appears to be under the leadership of the military. That is an open secret. Everybody knows that. But that’s just one of the root causes,” he told Khmer Times. Read more at: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501847324/ongoing-spat-stems-from-historical-narratives-nationalism-misinformation-and-unresolved-mechanisms/
