In a brief firefight at the end of May, a Cambodian soldier was killed along the countries’ shared border.
Published On 8 Jun 2025
Thai and Cambodian forces will return to their previously agreed-upon positions on the border, both sides have announced, after the two governments reinforced their military presence following an eruption of violence that killed a Cambodian soldier.
Thai Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said on Sunday that both sides hoped the thorny border issue could be fully resolved through a meeting on Saturday of the Joint Boundary Committee, which was set up to facilitate bilateral negotiations.
But Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn reiterated that his government had called on the International Court of Justice to resolve the border dispute.
“Given the complexity, historical nature and sensitivity of these disputes, it is increasingly evident that bilateral dialogue alone may no longer suffice to bring about a comprehensive and lasting solution,” Sokhonn said.
However, Thailand has said it does not recognise the court’s jurisdiction and proposes to settle the matter through bilateral negotiations.
The two countries have, for more than a century, contested sovereignty over undemarcated points along their shared border when France mapped out Cambodia in 1907 when it was a French colony.
Since 2008, when fighting first broke out over an 11th-century Hindu temp
