The Thai–Cambodian Border in International Relations: Constructing a Third Space in Geopolitics

Abstract

This article explores Thai–Cambodian border relations through the lens of critical geopolitics, challenging state-centric frameworks in International Relations (IR). Drawing on the concept of the territorial trap – which critiques the assumption of self-contained states and elite control over border narratives – it argues that Thai–Cambodian interactions remain shaped by such spatial orthodoxies. While military disputes, notably the Preah Vihear conflict and the recent clashes of July 2025, dominate, they obscure the complex realities of the border. Instead, this article introduces the concept of the Third Space, highlighting diverse actors and lived experiences of borderland. This approach shifts the focus from fixed geopolitical lines to everyday practices of negotiation and contestation. The analysis reveals that although the discussion of Thai–Cambodian relations is historically grounded and economically informed, it can perpetuate the territorial trap if filtered through statist logics. The article thus advocates multidisciplinary, people-centric approaches that reconceptualise borders as contested and socially embedded spaces.