12/15/2025
The Thailand–Cambodia War Is Shaped by “Thai Nationalist History”
By: Pavin Chachavalpongpun, Senior Journalist at Khaosod (pictured)
On the morning of 15 December 2025, Mr. Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a senior journalist at Khaosod, wrote a commentary on his Facebook account about one of the key root causes of the Thailand–Cambodia war. New Media hereby publishes the translated content (not the full article) from his original English text into Khmer as follows:
A prominent social activist, Chainarong Setthachua, posted on Facebook yesterday asking:
“[…] Why are Thai civil society, NGOs, and social media influencers silent about the border war? Or do they agree with the war?”
I replied:
“Hardline nationalist thinking has been deeply embedded in the school curriculum for Thai children. The fact that some Thais are able to escape this mindset shows that they are exceptions. Therefore, you should ask yourself: how did you manage to free yourself from such narrow-minded nationalism?”
Today, I would like to elaborate further as follows:
Thai students are taught only one version of history: Thailand is the hero. Burma (Myanmar) is portrayed as the aggressor (even though Ayutthaya’s support for the Mon people was one of the main reasons that led Burma to launch military campaigns against Ayutthaya, culminating in Ayutthaya’s first fall). Some Malay and Lao states are described as rebels that had to be suppressed, including the burning of Vientiane. As for the Khmers (Cambodians), children are taught that they are people who are “scheming and untrustworthy.”
Western imperial powers such as Britain and France are portrayed as those who carved away Siamese territory, which later became Laos, northern Malaysia, southern Myanmar, and Cambodia.
In short, Siam sees itself as having once been a small regional empire, acting like a “big brother,” before being bullied by Britain and France, which seized and administered territories inhabited by people loyal to the Bangkok government. This is why France is blamed by Thailand for creating the Thailand–Cambodia border problems.
Thus, it is not surprising that many Thais today firmly believe that they are still the protagonists, the righteous ones, while Khmers remain “Khmers”—that is, “scheming and untrustworthy.”
As for the United States, the current global superpower, narrow-minded Thai nationalists feel that U.S. President Donald Trump has no right to interfere or dictate how Thailand should deal with Cambodia. Ultra-nationalist Thais take pride in themselves if they can say “no” to America. And who, then, is Malaysian Prime Minister (and ASEAN Chair) Anwar Ibrahim to dare to call for a ceasefire on Facebook on Saturday, 13 December 2025?
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ignored the Malaysian prime minister’s announcement because he is seeking votes—a “war for votes”—by presenting himself as a leader who can say “no” to Trump. At the very least, Anutin’s value may lie in the fact that Trump is currently preoccupied with many major issues: China–Taiwan–Japan, Venezuela, Russia–Ukraine, Israel–Palestine, as well as domestic problems such as illegal immigration and private image leaks, among others.
Therefore, it is not surprising—though deeply regrettable—that the Thailand–Cambodia war of 2025 is reviving the history lessons taught in schools, including the period when Thailand lost control over Cambodia to France in 1867 (150 years ago), and the time when the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Preah Vihear Temple belonged to Cambodia in 1962 (63 years ago).
