In late September this year, as Cambodia and Thailand exchanged accusations at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, I found myself at the border of these two countries.
Now, a barbed wire fence stretches across Prey Chan village in Cambodia, blocking local houses and farmland within the border unilaterally imposed by the Thai military.
Behind the barbed wire are the houses of six villagers who are now unable to return home. An elderly woman watches as the road leading to her farmland is sealed off with sand by Thai construction workers, tears welling up in her eyes.
“Every day I look at my home, wondering if we will ever step foot inside again,” local resident Hul Mliss said. “The possibility of this situation resolving seems to diminish with each passing day.”
Meanwhile, her 3-year-old granddaughter plays on the muddy plains eroded by monsoons, next to a hammock where their family sleeps at night, just a few yards away from their home now trapped behind the new border line drawn by the Thai military weeks ago.
The conflict between Thailand and Cambodia has rarely grabbed global media attention, but its impact on humanity is profound. Due to most news agencies being based in Bangkok and the border being closed, I am one of the few foreign journalists to have visited the affected areas in Cambodia.
On July 24, tensions escalated between Thailand and Cambodia, leading to violent clashes near the Prasat Tamone Thom temple on the border of the two countries. Both sides accused each other of instigating hostile actions.
The intense fighting between the two countries involved artillery fire, BM-21 rocket attacks, Thai F-16 fighter jets bombing, resulting in significant casualties including civilians in Sisaket Province, Thailand. Additionally, pagodas, schools, medical centers, and private properties in Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear provinces in Cambodia were damaged.
The conflict in the border provinces of Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey between Cambodia and Thailand continues. Cambodia accuses Thailand of using cluster bombs, while Thailand alleges that Cambodia has committed war crimes against civilians and cultural sites. The conflict persisted until midnight on July 28, when U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on both Cambodia and Thailand if the fighting did not cease, ultimately leading to a ceasefire agreement by midnight. Since then, both sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire agreement.
Despite the starkly different political narratives, it’s undeniable that a large number of impoverished villagers have paid the price, with many children becoming orphans due to the crisis. Most of them reside on the Cambodian side of the border, where the economic conditions are more impoverished than neighboring Thailand, with limited access to electricity and clean water resources.
“Before the war broke out, we used to go to Thailand frequently. We were like good neighbors. But after the conflict erupted at the temple, Thai troops came and drove us out of our homes. We only had 20 minutes to pack our things and leave. It shattered us mentally; it broke our hearts,” Mliss said.
Another displaced villager, Hak Pov, lost a leg in a landmine accident and is now homeless. His family resides in the nearby Chork Chey village, where Thai troops threaten to occupy the village. If Thai troops indeed occupy the village, villagers like Mliss and Pov and their families will face fines of around 3,000 euros and several years of imprisonment for illegally crossing into Thai territory.
Mliss mortgaged her farm to obtain a bank loan, but with no land collateral now, the loan is overdue, and she has no income to repay it. She mentioned that though the bank temporarily waived her repayment, the loan interest continues to accumulate.
Even before the recent outbreak of conflict, the situation for these villagers was already dire. Pov has a deep connection to this land. He once volunteered to clear landmines in his former farmland, only to have his right leg blown off by a landmine. He managed to crawl to the nearest village with his injured body and eventually underwent an amputation surgery, saving his life. That was twenty years ago.
Subsequently, he voluntarily returned to clear other landmines, contributing to the safety of the entire region.
Pov stated that Thailand’s claim of their troops being destroyed by landmines is illogical.
“If they step on a landmine, it’s because it’s Cambodian land. All the landmines are buried deep in Cambodian shrubbery; that’s where the landmines are planted – not in Thailand!” he exclaimed.
Continuing along the border leads to the site of the Bed Buddha Temple in Thailand, where more heart-wrenching stories emerge. Around 200 children have become orphans, with few illiterate adults to care for them. I met one of the orphans, a 10-year-old girl named Raem Reaksmey. She told me that when the conflict erupted in July, her father was farming on the Thai side of the border and remains there to this day. Shortly after they got separated, her mother, left alone to care for the only daughter, went missing due to a mental breakdown, leaving Reaksmey orphaned.
Before Reaksmey was brought to the temporary refugee camp where she is currently, her father’s last words to her were, “Raem, you must now survive on your own.”
Reaksmey’s story is quite extraordinary: she described how her village was contaminated after white phosphorus shells were launched into the air by the Thai military. Following the landing of these white phosphorus shells, her village suffered pollution. Though it was rumored, this description is worth noting, as Thailand initially claimed they did not use such chemical substances, later admitting they did it for illumination purposes. White phosphorus is a chemical weapon used in warfare to melt tanks or illuminate the sky. Using white phosphorus in civilian areas constitutes a war crime; however, using it as a beacon or for military purposes does not. She mentioned that regardless, her former home is now covered in such chemical substances, forcing her to leave that place.
Once, Reaksmey rested her head on my chest and burst into tears.
“I’m sorry; I’m really scared,” she told me.
I reassured her to the best of my ability that everything will get better and that this is all just temporary. Truth be told, I’m unsure myself.
If a diplomatic solution is not found soon, there will be thousands more like Mliss, Pov, and Reaksmey who will face various hardships.
Thailand accuses Cambodia of failing to evacuate villagers from dangerous areas, while Thai authorities claim to have evacuated thousands of their own citizens. Sangly Sarak, a renowned news anchor from Cambodia who had accompanied me to the border, explained that this narrative is not accurate.
“The actions taken domestically by Thailand and Cambodia cannot be compared because it’s not Thai territory that is under threat,” he explained.
Sarak, raised by farmers, emphasized that land is life for farmers.
“If your land is under threat of being taken away, you wouldn’t leave. You would stay to protect your territory. Their mindset is, ‘We must defend our homeland, our people. We cannot leave. This is our homeland. This is our land. You cannot just say the land now belongs to you.'” Sarak expressed.
Like all military conflicts, there are also unintended casualties unrelated to the events. Just hours after the ceasefire began last month, 18 Cambodian soldiers were captured, put in neck braces, and escorted to a prison in Thailand, where they remain incarcerated.
I met the mother and sister of one of the Cambodian soldiers, Sergeant Phem Chanthea. They are rural farmers living in the remote border province of Oddar Meanchey, without electricity, internet, or television. The news of their son and brother’s capture spread from the border through word of mouth. They described Chanthea as a playful and cheerful boy who always brought joy to their lives. With Chanthea detained, they have no income sources besides the meager allowance they receive from the military in his absence. His mother’s biggest concern is whether he will safely return.
“I’m really afraid that I might never see my son again,” she said.
I asked her if there was a message she wanted to relay to him.
“If he can hear my message, I want to tell him to stay strong. We’re doing okay – don’t worry about us. Take care of yourself while you’re away. Besides that, I have nothing else to say,” she added.
Before my visit to Cambodia, I had a conversation with U.S. Congressman Richard McCormick, a Republican from Georgia, who assured me that the 18 imprisoned soldiers would return home “soon.” Other insiders in Washington also hinted to me that potential negotiation points, including compensation to Cambodia from Thailand for the expelled Cambodians, were being considered for a “closed-door” negotiation.
The fate of the Cambodian soldiers detained in a Thai prison has stirred anxieties among locals far from the border regions and even in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh.
“I just want to ask the international community if they can at least intervene to bring these soldiers back home,” a 14-year-old Cambodian high school student studying in a prominent international school in Phnom Penh told me.
His 11-year-old brother expressed fear, and his 13-year-old sister mentioned feeling puzzled by the events unfolding.
These emotions encapsulate the current sentiments of most Cambodians and have impacts on the economies of both Cambodia and Thailand. If left unchecked, these impacts may ripple out to affect more countries over time.
Thailand faces billions of baht in losses due to disrupted border trade, with tourism in popular areas like Koh Chang plummeting by 90%. Additionally, the outflow of Cambodian immigrant workers has led to labor shortages in the region.
Cambodia is struggling, with an expected over 3% drop in gross domestic product, significant decrease in tourism revenue from the iconic Angkor Wat city, and economic pressures from the return of migrant workers from Thailand leading to a reduction in remittances sent back home.
The conflict has led to nearly 200,000 displaced individuals in the border regions of Cambodia, disrupted agricultural production, and an increase in loan defaults like Mliss’s bank loan. This crisis has weakened investor confidence, delayed infrastructure projects, threatened ASEAN economic integration, and could result in funds being diverted to defense expenditures.
Due to the border closure, a large highway constructed by Japan connecting northern Cambodia to the capital city of Phnom Penh remains mostly deserted.
The border town of Poipet in northern Cambodia, once bustling with Thai tourists attracted by its vibrant entertainment activities, is now like a ghost town. Hotels are empty except for sporadic Chinese tourists. While both Cambodia and Thailand have avoided trade boycotts, such boycotting may emerge unless the conflict is resolved promptly.
This strong backlash may soon spread to the border of Thailand and Cambodia, impacting the global supply chain and the entire economic body.
However, to date, apart from President Trump’s facilitation of a summer ceasefire agreement, international media coverage and political action remain relatively subdued. Anchor Sarak believes this is the most disheartening aspect.
Moreover, among all global conflicts where Trump claimed to have brokered peace agreements, this particular conflict seems to pose the greatest challenge to his dispute resolution abilities. Many Cambodians believe that U.S. President Trump is the only capable individual to implement a lasting solution.
Sarak stated, “If we can make everyone understand that Cambodia desires peace, Cambodia wishes to reopen the borders once again, if the international community can support these efforts, then I believe it’s a good start.”
“At present, this is a crisis, but it could also be an opportunity to resolve this issue permanently through international courts. This is the wish of Cambodia.”
“The Thai people are our brothers. We want to share this world with them again, not defend our homeland in this manner. There is no benefit for anyone in this,” Sarak concluded.
This translation is a creative and lengthy adaptation of the original news article. Information about the original author has been omitted for privacy reasons.