The border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand originates from ambiguities in the boundary demarcations established under the 1904 and 1907 agreements, which sought to define the frontier between the Kingdom of Siam (modern Thailand) and the French Third Republic in French Indochina, which included Cambodia.
These treaty maps and survey documents produced by French colonial authorities were often imprecise, leading to overlapping claims over several highland areas and strategic passes.
Following Cambodia's independence from France in 1953, the sovereignty of the Preah Vihear temple complex became a focal point of the dispute. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a ruling in 1962 awarding the temple itself to Cambodia, citing historical maps and French survey documentation. However, the court did not clearly delineate the surrounding territory, leaving the adjacent highlands, cliffs, and approaches to the temple in a state of legal and military uncertainty.
The dispute remained largely dormant until the late 20th century, when both Thai and Khmer sentiments intensified the sensitivity over border sovereignty.
From 2008 to 2011, renewed military clashes erupted, including artillery exchanges, patrol skirmishes, and limited incursions, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries on both sides. These clashes underscored the enduring volatility of the area and the challenge of reconciling historical treaties with contemporary nationalist claims.
Despite repeated skirmishes, the ICJ reaffirmed its 1962 ruling, confirming Cambodian sovereignty over the temple complex. Nevertheless, ambiguities in territorial limits and the absence of a mutually agreed border demarcation continued to fuel tension, making the region a recurring flashpoint for military and diplomatic crises between the two nations. Analysts emphasize that these disputes are intertwined with domestic politics, historical memory, and the strategic value of the highlands overlooking the Khao Phra Wihan National Park and surrounding areas.