Royal Thai Army’s role in de-escalating the Thai-Cambodian border dispute: a case study of suranaree command (2012-2022)

Abstract

As witnessed from 2008 to 2011 in the case of the Preah Vihear temple, boundary demarcation can become securitized and lead to armed clashes. The Royal Thai Army of the Kingdom of Thailand is primarily responsible for securing the land border. Along the Thai-Cambodian border, security threats still exist. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze how the Suranaree Command, one of the RTA’s border defense units, has performed its de-escalation efforts on the contentious Thai-Cambodian border. Using anonymous interviews and open-source information due to the confidentiality of the unit, this research investigates the Command’s performance from 2012-2022, along with other agencies which operate on the same border. The study revealed that the Suranaree Command’s military operations primarily involve reconnaissance and surveillance to detect any upcoming issues and solve them promptly with Cambodian counterparts. Still, the unit cannot solve prolonged issues, such as boundary demarcation, because of its limited authority. This makes military and non-military agencies establish various mechanisms to enhance cooperation between the two countries to create a more peaceful and friendly border environment for forthcoming diplomatic meetings.