Thai-Cambodian Conflict: Who Benefits from Regional Chaos?

• Thailand and Cambodia exchange heavy fire along border region over disputed territory – the latest of a long-term dispute stretching back to French colonization of Cambodia;

• Despite the long-term nature of the dispute, actual clashes are rare and used opportunistically rather than as a genuine source of conflict;

• Despite Cold War myths, Thailand in recent years has developed a larger and deeper relationship with China than the US and far more significant than Cambodia’s relationship with China;

• Cambodia depends on the US as its primary export market and uses US dollars as local currency, a regional outlier where most nations primarily do business with China and the rest of Asia;

• The current government of Thailand is headed by US-backed billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra (via his daughter), who is a close friend and collaborator with Cambodia’s Hun Sen;

• The conflict serves neither Thai nor Cambodian interests, and instead meshes into the US policy of “extending” targeted nations by creating a multitude of conflicts along its periphery – a strategy the US has used against Thailand, and has used against China by disrupting peace and prosperity in Southeast Asia in general;

Resources:

SITREP

The Nation – Thai Army reveals timeline of Thai-Cambodia border clashes, calls for international investigation into civilian-targeting attacks (Jul. 25, 2025):
https://www.nationthailand.com/news/g…

Reuters – Thailand and Cambodia exchange heavy artillery fire as border battle expands (Jul. 25, 2025):
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pa…

CNN – Thailand launches airstrikes on Cambodian military targets as deadly border dispute escalates (Jul. 24, 2025):
https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-ne…

US Interference in Thailand

The New Atlas – The Complete Guide: US Government Role in Thailand’s “Student Protests” (2020):
https://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/20…

Economic Ties to US-China Harvard Atlas of Economic Complexity – Thailand (2023):
https://atlas.hks.harvard.edu/explore…

& Cambodia (2023):
https://atlas.hks.harvard.edu/explore…

Phnom Penh Post – The dominance of the dollar in Cambodia: Causes, effects, solutions (Jan. 2025):
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/opinion…

Military Ties to US-China

Army Recognition – Thailand and China will jointly develop the DTI-1G MLRS rocket launcher with guidance system (2012):
https://armyrecognition.com/archives/…

Janes – Royal Thai Navy unveils FK-3 air-defence system (2023):
https://www.janes.com/osint-insights/…

Reuters – Thailand in $67-million deal to buy armoured personnel carriers from China (2017):
https://www.reuters.com/article/world…

Moments in China-Thailand Blue Strike 2025 joint naval training (Mar. 2025):
http://eng.mod.gov.cn/xb/Home/Focus/1…

Reuters – U.S. imposes arms embargo on Cambodia over Chinese military influence (2021):
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pa…

The New Atlas – Thailand’s Regime & The Cambodian Connection (2013):
https://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/20…

The New Atlas – Fake News Storm Clouds Gather Over Southeast Asia (2018):
https://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/20…

AP – Cambodian leader’s son, a West Point grad, set to take reins of power — but will he bring change? (2023):
https://apnews.com/article/cambodia-e…

US Army – Thailand first FMS customer to buy U.S. Strykers, modernizing its military and boosting capability (2020):
https://www.army.mil/article/233181/t…