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Cambodia urges Thailand to resume border dispute talks

Cambodia has called on Thailand to restart negotiations over their long-disputed border, which erupted into armed conflict in 2025 with deadly clashes across multiple frontier locations. The appeal comes as both nations seek to move past the violence and address the unresolved territorial disagreement that has persisted since the 1950s.

The border dispute centers on non-demarcated areas along their shared 800-kilometer frontier, including the Temple of Preah Vihear, which the International Court of Justice awarded to Cambodia in 1962. Renewed fighting in December 2025 prompted a ceasefire agreement in late December, and Cambodia's call for talks signals an attempt to establish a diplomatic path forward rather than risk further military escalation.

  • King Suryavarman II expanded the Khmer Empire in the 12th century, commissioning temples like Ta Muen Thom amid territorial conquests.
  • The 1907 French-Siamese treaty surveyed the border using the watershed principle, sparking century-long disputes.
  • Dângrêk Mountains once shielded Khmer kingdoms from Thai invasions during medieval wars.
Cambodia urges Thailand to resume border dispute talks | Implica