Hundreds of thousands of tourists travel to the island of Koh Kood, in the Gulf of Thailand, every year. ‘s fourth-largest island might not be as popular among foreign visitors as Phuket or Koh Samui, but its relevance is rising — and not only because it is now in the center of an international dispute.
The island is believed to be sitting atop of massive gas and oil reserves. Its exploitation has been on hold due to claiming parts of it, but now, with the growing demand for energy in both Asian countries, the conflict is being pushed to forefront.
The roots of the row, however, reach well back into the colonial era.
Cambodia’s claim ‘controversial’
In the early 1900s, France ruled the area known as Indochina, comprised of several of its colonies that also included present-day Cambodia. In 1904, Indochina ceded Koh Kood to Thailand, which was then called Siam. The border was subsequently settled with the Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907.
By 1972, Indochina was defunct and Cambodia raised a claim saying their side of the maritime boundaries from the treaty included the southern part of the island. Thailand disagrees and says the whole of Koh Kood belongs to them.
Tita Sanglee, an independent analyst in Thailand, says Cambodia’s definition of the boundaries within the treaty are controversial.
“Cambodia’s claim was rooted in a different interpretation of the said treaty. It should be noted the 1907 treaty, like other treaties of its time, intended to address land, not maritime, boundaries. This is why the Cambodian interpretation is controversial,” she told DW.
In 2001, Thailand’s government reached a memorandum of understanding on the overlapping claims, with then-Prime Minister discussing profit sharing from Koh Kood’s energy resources with .
Ruling families too close for comfort
This willingness to compromise sounded alarm bells among conservative politicians in Bangkok. Thai nationalists were angered by Thaksin’s offer to Cambodia, insisting that Thailand should not concede any land or resources to its neighbor.
“The dispute manifesting itself today is because the Thai and Cambodian governments, for the first time in forever, both expressed peak political will to resume maritime boundary talks. Both sides want to utilize untapped fuel fields as they face rising import costs for energy,” Tita said.
In 2025, Thailand is ruled by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, . Cambodia is ruled by Hun Manet, . Personal ties between the ruling families seem to be strong, and for many Thai nationalists, this is a reason to be worried.
“What is concerning to many Thais is the closer personal ties between the current Thai and Cambodian leadership. This has led to scepticism about why the talks seem to be moving so quickly and whether conflicts of interests could be a factor. There are many unaddressed questions, including the status of Koh Kood. By international standards, it belongs to Thailand,” she added.
No safety for activists
The two government seem to be cooperating well in what their critics call transnational repression — fleeing across the border tend to find no sanctuary in either Cambodia and Thailand.
In November, Thailand deported six Cambodian activists, most of whom had been recognized as refugees under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). They are charges of treason for criticizing Cambodia’s government.
Tricky balance in highly charged dispute
But the history of ties between the two countries is long and mixed, and Mark S. Cogan, associate professor of peace & conflict studies at Kansai Gaidai University in Japan warns “the sovereignty question” is always at the center of conflicts between Bangkok and Phnom Penh.
“Territorial disputes have long memories with Thai nationalists,” and it remains a highly charged issue “both outside of the government and within it,” he added.
Thailand’s government has so far downplayed rifts with the Cambodian regime over Koh Kood, but both sides have questions that remain unanswered.
Tita believes there’s a fine balance at play.
“It’s a tricky situation,” she said. “If the Cambodian government accepts that Koh Kood belongs to Thailand, it’s going to have to deal with angry nationalists at home. But if any part of Koh Kood’s sovereignty is compromised, Thais won’t stay still. I personally foresee a deadlock.”
Edited by: Darko Janjevic
The post Why are Thailand and Cambodia clashing over Koh Kood island? appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
