S ingaore’s Chinese-language media Lianhe Zaobao submitted 6 questions to Khaosod English’s Pravit Rojanaphruk today, December 16, 2025, about the week-long Thai-Cambodian border war. Here’s the answers.
In your view, has the Thai military’s intent to cut logistics and strategic supplies bound for Cambodia gone too far? What’s the impact or how effective is this move?
The whole border war between Thailand and Cambodia is in itself has gone ‘too far’. Attempts to cut petrol supplies to Cambodia are just an ‘illogical extension’ of Thailand’s war mentality. It may be partially effective for only a short period of time, as Cambodia also shares a border with Vietnam, not just Thailand and Laos.
Do you expect a strong reaction from the international community?
Not really and not yet. They are too busy with the Russia-Ukraine war, or the Russian continued invasion of Ukraine and the impact on the EU, on tensions between Japan and China over Taiwan, and the Gaza Strip.
With a caretaker government in place now, could the military become uncontrollable or even take drastic actions?
The army has been more or less only nominally controlled by the government even before the House dissolution. Thailand has a long history of staging ‘successful’ military coups. Now they are more popular than ever, further eroding any semblance of civilian supremacy over the military.
According to Thai media, Thai forces seized a fifth-generation, guided anti-tank missile system known as the GAM-102LR at a Cambodian base. By implicating Chinese arms and probing who bankrolled Cambodia for the procurement, what is Thailand’s motive?
The Chinese government has denied today that these are new weapons. For those who do not believe, the question is whether China is quietly supporting Cambodia. Thailand’s desire is to be as independent of external meddling, be it from China or the US.
Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs set out three conditions for any ceasefire along the Thai–Cambodian border, insisting Cambodia must announce a ceasefire first. Is it some kind of delay tactic or is Thailand serious about these conditions? How likely is Cambodia going to comply?
It is both a delay tactic but more importantly a pre-condition set out to humiliate the Cambodian leadership. Cambodia would be seen as kowtowing to Thailand if she directly approaches Thailand for a ceasefire negotiation first. Both sides are equally egotistical. I do not think Cambodia’s supreme leader Hun Sen cares much about the lives of foot soldiers.
They are expendable and the figures of Cambodian soldiers killed and injured have bizarrely not been revealed even after a week. On the Thai side, the story is similar, and virtually all of the 17 soldiers killed so far were low-ranking soldiers with no say about the course of this needless war.
In this war, it’s the lower class on both sides who are suffering most.
What should we take note of to see whether this conflict is likely to escalate or de-escalate ahead of Thailand’s upcoming election?
It will likely escalate without a stronger demand by the international community, as all parties want to portray themselves as nationalist and strong, including the main opposition People’s Party, which has made no call for an end to this needless week-long war so far.
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