THE POLICAL CRISIS DURING THE THAI-CAMBODIAN BORDER WAR IN 2025

Abstract

This academic article aims to analyze the dynamics of Thailand's political crisis within the context of the military conflict on the Thai-Cambodian border in 2025, focusing on exploring the relationship between war and government instability. The study found that armed conflict was not merely a military security issue but was also used as a political tool to legitimize and undermine through extremist nationalist rhetoric. The crisis resulted in a stalemate of the parliamentary democratic process, as the executive branch needed to use special powers to control the situation, leading to questions about civil liberties and the scrutiny of the use of state power during an emergency.

Furthermore, the research highlights complicating factors from external actors and economic pressures that intensified the political crisis. Border closures and disruptions to regional supply chains impacted investor confidence, leading to protests from affected citizens whose livelihoods were impacted. This compounded existing structural political conflicts. The failure to manage this complex crisis reflects the weakness of Thai political institutions in confronting a state of exceptionalism. The article concludes that the solution to the crisis is not limited to diplomatic negotiations to end the border conflict. However, it requires structural power reforms that foster participation and build new social consensus to prevent the use of nationalism as a tool to overthrow political rules. This is to ensure that the Thai-Cambodian border crisis is not merely a problem between states, but a significant factor affecting political stability, power structure, and the overall development of democracy in Thailand.