Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai warns that the conflict with neighboring Cambodia could “potentially develop into a war” as the fighting intensifies and spreads to new areas.
Thai and Cambodian troops have been engaged in increasingly fierce fighting in recent days, prompting evacuations of border communities and further straining already fragile diplomatic ties. Thai officials confirmed that at least 15 people have been killed in the latest round of violence.
Much of the current dispute stems from maps drawn on differing interpretations of early 20th-century Franco-Siamese treaties, which defined the border between Thailand and Cambodia, then part of French Indochina.
Military clashes between the two nations are not new, but recent exchanges have been among the most serious in years. Analysts point to deep-seated nationalist sentiments on both sides as a key driver behind the recurring hostilities.
In response to the escalating situation, the United States, China, and Malaysia – the current chair of the ASEAN regional bloc – have offered to mediate and facilitate dialogue between the two countries.
