Cambodia-Thailand border conflict is a complex issue. It links with different interrelated root causes vulnerable to extreme nationalism and unstable domestic political changes. The current border tension and conflict between the two countries reflect one of the most sophisticated puzzles in bilateral relations.
Fortunately, the dynamic trend and process of globalization and regional integration have contributed to reducing the spread of the conflict through multilateral institutionalization of the conflict and diplomatic pressure from the international community. ASEAN, UN, and ICJ all have played significant roles in maintaining ceasefire and contributing to solving the conflict.
With the absence of trust between the two countries, multilateral diplomacy and mechanism have proven the most effective way to manage the conflict. However, to find a complete and comprehensive solution to the conflict, it needs bilateral mechanism. The leadership change in Thailand creates a new political environment favoring bilateral negotiation towards continuous and gradual solution to the conflict. However, it is still vulnerable to domestic political change in Thailand since the current Yingluck administration is in the phase of national reconciliation and power accommodation.