Story by Sasitorn Aksornwilai, Sicha Rungrojtanakul

                                                                                                                         Cover illustration by Kittiya On-in

                                                                                                                              Photo by Pattaraporn Pongampai    

Among neighbouring Southeast Asian countries, few have experienced as heated and enduring a cultural conflict as Thailand and Cambodia. While they share historical and cultural ties, these have often become sources of tension. From the Preah Vihear temple dispute to widespread online debates about the origins of the shared cultural heritage, this tug-of-war has persisted for decades.

Even though state-to-state relations between the two countries appear friendly and cordial, people-to-people relations tell a different story. Thai and Cambodian netizens frequently do not see eye to eye on their intertwined cultural heritage.

The tug-of-war centres on cultural claims where both sides insist that their respective countries are the origin of some aspect of culture, ranging from martial arts to traditional dance and costumes. One such conflict erupted during the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia, where the host country dropped Muay Thai and replaced it with its own version, Kun Khmer, as an official sport, sparking outcry from the Thai side.

The cultural rivalry between people from both countries is merely the tip of the iceberg. It has often been assumed that history is a significant driving force behind the phenomenon, but how much does it truly shape the perceptions on both sides? Is there any other underlying cause behind it? And how do Thais and Cambodians perceive this issue?

Why do Thais and Cambodians always engage in cultural conflicts?

The phenomenon of cultural claims between both countries was dubbed, by Thai netizens, as “Claimbodia,” the term used to attack Cambodians whom Thais perceive as attempting to claim Thai culture as part of Cambodia’s cultural heritage. On the other hand, some Cambodian netizens alleged that Thailand was stealing Cambodia’s cultural heritage.

A Thai graphic designer noted that evidence suggested that many social media posts, seemingly from Cambodians, are actually created by Thai accounts pretending to be Cambodians to provoke further conflict.

Meanwhile, a 24-year-old Khmer language student observed that both sides have a sentiment of ‘hyper-nationalism,’ fuelled by easy access to their nationalist histories. The student noted that the interactions between Thais and Cambodians are generally limited. Thus, the cultural dynamic between the two countries is not obvious in the eyes of the Thai people, compared to that between Thais and Laos, whose language is similar and who are exposed to Thai pop culture.

She added that the language barrier makes Thais and Cambodians feel distant from each other. Despite being aware that Thailand is a significant exporter of pop culture, media, and goods to its neighbouring countries, Thais have little awareness of how Cambodia is influenced by or responds to these things.

Meanwhile, on the Cambodian side, Chandara, a young Cambodian independent researcher, stated that debates over cultural and territorial issues are vibrant, especially on social networks like Facebook, where young people are highly active. However, he said some of these discussions are not grounded in historical research. Many claims lack evidence or are driven by propaganda, with no clear sources.

He also added that the Cambodian government has offered minimal reaction to the tension. Responses primarily come from politicians with opposing viewpoints.

The roots of the culture wars

Dr Thibodi Buakamsri, a history professor at Chulalongkorn University, explains that the cultural heritage of Thailand and Cambodia has long been characterised by a mixture of cultural influences and exchanges that date back to an era before clear territorial demarcations emerged.

The formation of the Cambodian and Thai nation states marked a turning point that led to clear distinctions between the two nations. Once borders were demarcated, cross-border claims began.

Dr Thibodi Buakamsri

Dr Thibodi stated that two additional factors contributing to the ongoing social media conflicts between the people from the two countries were historical narratives and present-day experiences and perceptions.

These days, especially with the rise of social media, Thais and Cambodians encounter each other more directly, either through travel to Cambodia, social media platforms, or through an increasing number of Cambodian workers in Thailand, providing an opportunity for new understandings of their neighbours, while historical narratives are sometimes still remembered.

The Preah Vihear dispute has lingered in the collective memories. In the professor’s view, the case is a significant indicator of the conflict and generated hostile feelings.

He noted that before the conflict flared up in the 1960s, we merely saw clashes at the state-to-state level, which probably affected the people living along the border areas.

“If we look back to the 1950s, what was a priority for Cambodia was the fight to claim independence. The interest of the Cambodian elite f was therefore, on the French, so squabbles with neighbouring were not the main concern. Later, the problems between Thailand and Cambodia began to become clearer when politics inside Cambodia calmed down,” said Dr Thibodi.

Clash of cultural nationalism

One significant element here involves cultural nationalism, which has two dimensions: the historical debate over who “owns” or originally created the culture, and national pride, often centred on the recognition of World Heritage Sites.

Dr Thibodi added that the intensity of the dispute largely depends on how strongly individuals “feel” about the issue.

“Briefly speaking, culture builds nations, and nations, in turn, claim themselves as the rightful owners of culture. Therefore, culture becomes an integral part of nationhood,” said the history professor.

On the other hand, Thibodi explained that culture could also transcend modern boundaries and be part of other nations. However, when we speak of ‘nation,’ the concept often implies a clear boundary—like this is country A, and that is country B. As a result, there is a sense among people that the culture cannot be shared, despite having several characteristics in common. 

In the case of Cambodia, the roots of this cultural nationalism can be traced back to the colonial era, when the French reshaped historical narratives to establish a sense of nationalism. The French redefined Cambodian’s identity, emphasising its past as an empire whose power expanded to what is now Vietnam, Laos, the Chao Phraya River Basin, and the Southern peninsular. Importantly, the most explicit evidence of its great power is the stone castle, as we can see the Angkor Wat on the Cambodian national flag.

How have they viewed or thought about each other over time?

According to the history professor, Cambodia has a well-known literature, Pantan Ta Mas, which was disseminated, with the support of the French, in the early twentieth century during the colonial era. The content revolves around the perspective and experiences of an elderly man living during the Annam-Siam Yuth War, or the great war of Siamese-Vietnamese in the nineteenth century, a time when Siam (now Thailand) and Vietnam used Cambodia as a battleground, causing immense turmoil and hardship for the Cambodians.

In this book, Siam is portrayed as an opportunistic power seeking to exploit Cambodia. The French intervention is portrayed as a turning point, deterring Siamese invasions and restoring peace and prosperity to Cambodia. This narrative, heavily emphasized and reproduced by the French, played a significant role in shaping Cambodian perceptions of Thailand.

Meanwhile, In Thai history, Cambodia has often been seen as the villain, but with a lower status compared to Burma. While Burma was seen as an enemy with an equal adversary in warfare, where they took turns to win and lose, Cambodia is frequently portrayed as opportunistic—attacking Ayutthaya or Bangkok during times of weakness or while preoccupied with wars against Burma.

a social media post where Thais and Cambodians had such conflict

Thais and Cambodians perceive perspective on cultural dispute

As a Cambodian, Saouch, a Cambodian NGO worker, revealed that the root causes of these sensitivities are that ‘many Cambodians feel deeply about the historical misrepresentation and lack of recognition from their Thai counterparts regarding Khmer elements integrated into Thai culture. Many also fear that their culture and Khmer identity could be lost, thus it leads to heated debates on social media.’

“I have made friends with several Thai people, and they have all been very kind and friendly. We often discuss the so-called "cultural war" between our countries and agree that it’s quite ridiculous. Instead, we focus on the mutual connections and respect we share, rooted in our intertwined histories,” he said.

Saouch added, “I find the ongoing cultural disputes between Thailand and Cambodia to be quite unnecessary. To fully understand this issue, we must consider the historical ties between the two nations, which are deeply intertwined and incredibly complex.”

Meanwhile, a 26-year-old Thai Master’s student interested in SEAs observed that the Thai education system in Thailand largely fails to teach Thai people to embrace diversity or even to get to know neighbouring countries.

She also added that the idea of ‘pure Thainess’ actually does not exist. “There is no need to enter into a conflict of who is the origin of the culture, as it can be what is called ‘shared culture,’” she explained.

At the same time, Chandara said he has often heard arguments about cultural borrowing or copying between Cambodia and Thailand from the stories shared by parents and grandparents. “These debates have been passed down and are even documented in books, forming a continuous link between generations,” he said.

The 24-year-old Khmer language student observed that in the internet era, and perhaps with the spread of disinformation, people are more comfortable openly expressing hatred towards Cambodia. In the past, such feelings might have been limited to disinterest due to a lack of awareness about Cambodians.

“I think it is useless to make a claim back and forth because if we trace back through history, the heritage in this region is shared culture,” said Kitti, a Thai-Cambodian interpreter.

Could we overcome people-to-people disputes between both countries?

Thibodi stated that clashes on social media between Thai and Cambodian netizens become commonplace, with both sides holding different perspectives and beliefs, particularly on cultural issues as mentioned above.

Once certain beliefs are ingrained, overcoming biases can be challenging. Thus, to reach a point where there is completely no dispute between people from both countries might be unrealistic. He also added that the conflicts on social media platforms, despite being heated, have not yet caused significant damage or raised major concerns as long as it is not turned into a political issue.

From his perspective, the clashes of nationalism from both sides become dangerous when they are exploited as a political tool, such as the Preah Vihear dispute.

If such an issue is used in terms of harassment for political gain, as recently happened with the ruling Pheu Thai Party in the case of the Koh Kut dispute recently fuelled by a Thai conservative movement, that would be truly detrimental.

Despite these challenges, Thibodi remarked that Thailand and Cambodia have shared interests that can foster collaboration. Economically, the two countries rely on each other. Thailand exports significantly more to Cambodia than it imports, while Thailand also depends heavily on Cambodian labour. No matter what, both sides must rely on and interact with each other.

“Cambodians know and are familiar with Thai people more than Thai people know them, and they appreciate Thai people. Thai people are the ones who should get to know them more,” said the 26-year-old Thai Master’s student. 

She also added that as neighbours. Thais cannot cannot deny the relationship both countries have had and will continue to have, no matter how much some Thai netizens might be dissatisfied.

“We must accept that both countries share overlapping and interconnected cultural traditions. Like siblings, Cambodia and Thailand should love and support one another. I believe that our shared cultural heritage can be a unifying thread that strengthens the bond between our two nations,” said Saouch.