Time for this unnecessary war to end

It was a war everyone saw coming. After weeks of provocations and inflammatory rhetoric across the Thai-Cambodian border since May 28, the failure to deescalate tensions finally erupted into deadly border skirmishes. Despite diplomatic efforts, no fruitful progress was made. As diplomacy faltered, ultra-nationalism made inroads, and rhetoric gave way to border clashes beginning last Thursday.

- Kavi Chongkittavorn

The militaries on both sides now face mounting public pressure to defend their respective motherlands. In such a climate, a tit-for-tat escalation was almost inevitable. Talk of a ceasefire has yet to be translated into meaningful action. Thailand has agreed in principle, while Cambodia wants an immediate ceasefire, but no cessation of hostilities has occurred on the ground.

Beyond the battlefields, domestic challenges in both countries have further fueled the conflict. In Thailand, the Pheu Thai-led coalition is struggling to maintain stability. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s political future now hangs in the balance after the Constitutional Court suspended her from office following a leaked, deeply damaging phone conversation with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen.

Once seen as a diplomatic asset — thanks to her father Thaksin's longstanding ties with Hun Sen — that connection has turned into a liability for the Shinawatra family. Their private feuds have become a public liability that severs diplomatic channels.

In Cambodia, Hun Sen, though no longer prime minister, remains the country's power centre as he backs his son, Prime Minister Hun Manet, much to the chagrin of the ruling Cambodia People’s Party's old and young apparatus. But the economic headwinds are more intense. Cambodia faces a potential 36% tariff hike from the United States, reduced from an earlier proposal of 49%. If Phnom Penh fails to secure a deal with the Trump administration by Friday, Hun Sen's legacy and Cambodia's growth prospects will be thrown into jeopardy.

Against this backdrop, President Donald Trump has phoned both Thai and Cambodian leaders, urging them to hold ceasefire talks; otherwise, ongoing trade negotiations with the US will be halted. Once again, Mr Trump is weaponising tariffs as diplomatic leverage, with his team hoping the ultimatum will bring an end to the fighting.