Berlin, Germany (Weltexpress). The fact that a small war with major battles is taking place between the kingdoms of Thailand and Cambodia is likely to have spread even to Germany. It is quite possible that the war will subside after a few days, like the one between the State of Israel, with the USA at its side, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is known as the ‘Twelve-Day War’. But the border war is not one of days, weeks or months, but of years. The border war is a long one.
Not hundreds or thousands fled, but tens of thousands. Added to this are tens of thousands of displaced persons, not to mention the dead and wounded. It goes without saying for experts and critics that this conflict also has its roots in the actions of the colonial powers. Of course, the borders were drawn on maps by foreign rulers, not by representatives of the peoples who lived in Siam (until 1939), although Siam had no borders in the classical sense, but great influence that diminished at the edges. And before Siam became what it was, these areas of power and rule were determined by the respective cities and named after them. Those who do not know history are like a fallen leaf in the wind of the present.
Siam became the kingdoms of Thailand and Cambodia. As a rule, artificial states created on the drawing board do not live up to their creators’ promises. While the Thai or Siamese and other peoples such as the Lao in the Kingdom of Thailand preferred vassalage and the USA as their masters, many Khmer turned red and fought like the red Viet and Hoha, first against the colonial rulers from the enlarged West Frankish Empire or the French Republic, and then against the invaders and occupiers from the USA. Many peoples, many wars, many forces.
Hans-Ueli Läppli writes in ‘RT DE’ (25 July 2025) under the headline ‘The forgotten border war between Thailand and Cambodia’ that ‘the real driving forces … lie within’ the two kingdoms. He writes: “In Thailand, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was shaken after a leaked phone call sparked protests and rocked her coalition. The conflict is being used as a patriotic diversionary tactic. In Cambodia, Prime Minister Hun Manet is trying to use the crisis to consolidate national unity. This pattern of sacrificing civilians for political power interests is unfortunately all too common in crisis situations.”
The two kingdoms are standing on shaky ground. Whether what is shaking will also be brought down, and what falls will also be overthrown, remains to be seen.
More than a ‘twelve-day war’ is certainly possible, but less is also possible. As always, foreign powers will decide, especially those in Washington and Beijing, who are also fighting for supremacy in Bangkok. The scales are tipping in favour of the Han Chinese. The group of citizens of the Kingdom of Thailand who are Han Chinese is growing and growing and growing. The group with a Han Chinese background is estimated at between 20 and 40 percent. The trend is rising.
