The past year has been eventful and at times tumultuous for the subregion. Expect more of the same over the coming year.
Cambodia and Thailand: The Aftermath
On December 27, the governments of Thailand and Cambodia agreed to end nearly three weeks of heavy fighting along their 817-kilometer land border. The conflict, which killed at least 100 people and displaced nearly a million on both sides of the border, has inflamed public opinion in both nations, pushing relations to their lowest point in years – perhaps decades.
Under the ceasefire, the two nations have agreed to freeze the front lines in their current positions, refrain from reinforcing their positions, and allow displaced civilians to return home as soon as possible. Thailand also released 18 Cambodian soldiers that it captured shortly in late July, and during talks hosted this week in Yunnan by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the ceasefire by working to build “mutual confidence” and restore “peace, security and stability.”
The dispute over the border dates back to border treaties signed between French Indochina and the Kingdom of Siam in 1904 and 1907, and has surfaced periodically in the years since. The tensions built steadily across the first half of 2025, beginning with an incident in February in which a group of Cambodian women sang patriotic songs at a disputed Angkorian temple along the border. This culminated in five days of fighting along the border in late July.
Following an intervention by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and U.S. President Donald Trump, a ceasefire was signed on July 28.
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