Thai ruling party vows to resolve Cambodia row as election nears

Thailand’s ruling party, which is seeking to retain power in February’s election, is vowing to resolve the country’s conflict with Cambodia and clean up its image as a

transit hub for trafficked scam victims.

 

The conservative Bhumjaithai Party, which took power in September, has cast itself as the most suitable defender of Thai sovereignty during the border dispute between the two South-east Asian countries. Clashes erupted for five days in July 2025 and reignited in December before a ceasefire. 

If it returns to power after the Feb 8 vote, Bhumjaithai will maintain its stance to protect Thailand’s sovereignty while seeking to restore ties with Cambodia to reopen borders and resume trade, according to Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow. He is the party’s second prime ministerial candidate after incumbent leader Anutin Charnvirakul. 

But Mr Sihasak warned that such progress is conditional on the Dec 27 ceasefire holding, allowing the two countries to withdraw heavy weapons from the border areas as well as cooperate on landmine removal and scam crackdowns. 

“We are determined to protect our sovereignty, our territorial integrity,” Mr Sihasak said in a Jan 16 interview. “I’m hoping that we will be able to put the conflict behind us soon, build up confidence and trust and move forward with our relationship. But this is still a very delicate period where we have to avoid all acts of provocation.” 

He dismissed recent comments from senior Cambodian minister Keo Remy – that Bhumjaithai’s return to power will lead to a third border clash, and that the Thais should vote for the reformist People’s Party or populist Pheu Thai Party instead – as “verbal provocation” and interference in domestic affairs. 

By aligning closely with the Thai military, Mr Anutin has leveraged a wartime leader image to double his party’s popularity since border tensions flared up last May. His hardline stance resonates with conservative and rural voters, particularly in the seven north-eastern border provinces, helping Bhumjaithai’s campaign to benefit from nationalist fervour in the wake of the fighting. 

Mr Anutin came to power in September after the ouster of the previous Pheu Thai government under Ms Paetongtarn Shinawatra, whose leaked phone call with a former Cambodian leader led to a court-ordered dismissal for ethical violations.

While Pheu Thai says it also can resolve the conflict if elected to power again, public trust has soured for the party backed by the Shinawatra family, which had close personal ties with Cambodia’s ruling Hun dynasty before the border fallout.

Meanwhile, the young progressive People’s Party – which has never been in government – has also sought a peaceful solution to the Cambodia rift but remains untested over how it could handle a territorial conflict. The group is known for an anti-establishment stance at a time when the armed forces enjoy public adoration.

“The current conflict with Cambodia has aroused strong sentiments among the public,” Mr Sihasak said, adding: “We think that our policy has been one that the public supports, because we are defending the security and sovereignty of the country.” 

The deadly conflict has also been framed by Thailand as a war on transnational crime operations that have found havens in Cambodia. The Thai air force has targeted several sites in the neighbouring country that it said were abandoned casino buildings repurposed for military or drone operations. 

‘We have to put our house in order’

But Mr Sihasak also said Thailand will need to stop being used as a regional transit hub for victims lured to work in scam centres in neighbouring countries. 

“If we are going to try to lead the regional and international efforts to combat scams, we have to look at ourselves and put our house in order,” he said. “You have to crack down on those involved, otherwise it’s not going to be possible.” 

Days after the first round of conflict erupted in July, US President Donald Trump threatened to freeze trade deals with Thailand and Cambodia unless they stopped fighting. After an initial ceasefire was reached, the US imposed a 19 per cent tariff on goods from both countries as part of sweeping levies on dozens of nations. 

Bhumjaithai will seek to lower export tariffs during negotiations between US and Thai officials that are about to begin over the finer details of the trade deal, Mr Sihasak said. 

If he returns to office, Mr Sihasak said, he plans to task Thai ambassadors around the world to help the nation find new export markets and attract foreign direct investment. “We’re facing more protectionism, more unilateralism, especially what we see coming from the US,”  he noted.

Mr Sihasak also said a new Bhumjaithai-led government could rebuild investor confidence after the local stock market saw net outflows of foreign funds for three consecutive years since 2023. Thailand has been hit by several bouts of political turmoil, triggering two regime changes since the last general election, which took place that year. 

“If we have a stable government, we have consistent policies, I think we could reverse the trend,” Mr Sihasak said. “Thailand is still an attractive place to invest.” BLOOMBERG