The Transnational Geo-Body of the Cambodian–Thai Border Conflicts: Symbolic Geopolitics, Nationalism and Externalisation of Domestic Securities
Abstract/Summary
The Cambodian–Thai border conflict reoccurred in 2025. This article analyses these conflicts through the frameworks of transnational geo-body, built on the concepts of geo-body and imagined communities, to examine why colonial boundaries and symbolic sites along the Cambodian–Thai borders have been transnationalised to shape recurring border conflicts. To answer this question, the study reviews the existing literature and conducts empirical research in four border provinces of Cambodia. It documents the dynamics of transnational geo-body politics, the nature of border conflicts, their effects on local communities, and the internationalisation of settlements. It concludes that border conflicts are driven by the cyclical co-production of colonial borders, maps and territories as perceived threats to the states. Political elites exploit these tensions to externalise domestic disputes and mobilise nationalism against neighbouring countries to consolidate power. The article argues that internationalising the disputes offers the most effective approach to resolving this persistent conflict.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64202/wp.157.202605
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