Conflict Between Thailand and Cambodia: Tsar Nicholas II, Independence, and Siamese Cats

Written for Kosovo Online by Habib al Hadi

These hot summer days, the world was surprised by a conflict between two Asian countries – Thailand and Cambodia. While the direct causes of the conflict were quickly explained, much less attention was given to the true roots and underlying reasons.

The main cause of the conflict is neither oil nor territorial expansion, but – an old stone. Specifically, it concerns the Prasat Ta Muen Thom temple and surrounding shrines, located in a rugged, forested hill area near the border of the two countries.

Built in the 11th century in the classical Khmer architectural style, this temple was part of a route connecting major cities of the former Khmer Empire, including the legendary Angkor.

Today, the temple lies along the boundary line between Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey Province and Thailand’s Surin Province. And that very line is the problem.

Tensions escalated in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed during a brief clash between Thai and Cambodian troops in a disputed border zone known as the Emerald Triangle, where Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos meet.

Both Thai and Cambodian forces claim they acted in self-defense and blame the other side for the incident. Thailand has a population of about 70 million. Its armed forces number around 245,000 troops, mostly equipped with Western military technology. Cambodia has about 17 million people. Its military numbers around 170,000 troops, mainly equipped with Chinese, Russian, and French hardware.

Relations between Thailand and Cambodia have been complex over the past decades – marked by both cooperation and rivalry. The two countries share an 817-kilometer-long land border, largely delineated by the French while Cambodia was a colony. The area has occasionally been the site of military clashes and political tensions. To understand the reasons for this and previous conflicts, it’s enough to say that the answer lies in colonialism – specifically, French colonialism.

Out of the 11 current states in this region, only Thailand has never been colonized. Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia, was known as Siam until 1939. In the late 19th century, the Kingdom of Siam was surrounded on all sides by colonial possessions of the major colonial powers – Britain and France. It seemed that Siam would soon lose its independence, but it did not – thanks to Russia.

Initially, there was no strategic need to colonize Siam, and the trade route to China went another way. In the eyes of Europeans, this "anomaly" could not be allowed to persist. The British and French sat down and divided Siam’s territory between themselves.

Thailand’s unique status as never colonized (which allegedly led to fewer Thais speaking English well) also stems from another factor: when a power colonized a country, it typically built infrastructure to maximize exploitation but also took responsibility for schools and healthcare. King Mongkut (Rama IV) allowed the British to conduct their own jurisdiction and trade in Thailand without taxation under the Bowring Treaty of 1855. This spared the British from responsibility while not limiting their exploitation.

Britain claimed the southwest of the country, while France took the northeast. Europeans began preparing for invasion. The international standing of the Kingdom of Siam worsened during these years, especially due to France’s aggressive moves. In July 1893, French warships reached Bangkok and issued a harsh ultimatum.

At that time, King Rama V ruled Siam. He appealed to the Russian Tsar for help. During Siam’s most critical struggle for independence between 1886 and 1904, the country repeatedly received help and support from Russia.

When he was still crown prince, Nicholas II undertook a long world journey, during which he was nearly assassinated in Japan—a fact that later influenced his stance toward the Japanese.

On July 29 / August 10, 1893, Chulalongkorn sent a telegram to Alexander III:
"I sincerely thank Your Majesty for your exceptionally warm telegram. A peaceful solution to my disagreements with France has now been secured, and diplomatic relations are fully restored. I have no doubt that Your Majesty’s kind wishes contributed to this outcome..."

A key moment in Russia–Siam relations was the meeting between Nicholas II and King Chulalongkorn during the Siamese king’s visit to Russia from July 1 to 11, 1897. Understanding that hostile Europeans could easily swallow his kingdom, Rama V went to Russia that summer to visit his friend Nicholas. He spent a week in Moscow and St. Petersburg, meeting with the Tsar, his family, and ministers, attending theaters and operas, and visiting Peterhof. The Russian press praised his courtesy and sophistication.

During his extensive European tour, the king visited Italy, Switzerland, Austro-Hungary, Russia, Sweden, Denmark, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France (twice), Spain, Portugal, and Monte Carlo. Chulalongkorn displayed brilliant diplomacy, a deep understanding of international affairs, fluent English, and the ability to build friendly and business ties with a wide range of European leaders. The core goal of his trip was to normalize relations with France.

The Queen of Siam wrote in a telegram from Bangkok on June 3, 1897:
"Members of the Privy Council under the regent believe that French colonialists are spreading rumors to cause unrest among the people... A personal meeting with the Russian Tsar is especially important to neutralize these intrigues."

At first, the French refused to negotiate with the Siamese king. On June 19, 1897, the French embassy in St. Petersburg sent a note to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reporting the arrest in Bangkok of “two French-protected Cambodians,” saying the issue must be resolved before the king can be received in France with trust and friendship.

On July 5, 1897, Nicholas II and Chulalongkorn signed two joint photographs... The king later said the image marked one of the most important moments in Thai history. He ordered it widely published to show the world the close friendship between Thailand and Russia and their monarchs.

At the time, France was already Russia’s ally. Thus, after visiting Russia and making a strong impression, the Siamese king greatly facilitated his visit to Paris. France ultimately concluded that occupying this small country wasn’t worth risking its relationship with Russia—especially with a war against Germany looming. And so, Thailand remained independent.

One additional benefit came from Rama V’s visit to Russia: Nicholas II gave him 200 guards to escort him through Europe, and in return, Rama V gave Nicholas 100 Siamese cats. Tsarevich Alexei, Nicholas II’s son, received a Siamese cat named Kotka from General-Major Vladimir Voyeikov.

Siamese cats were already known in Russia, having arrived via trade or as gifts. A Siamese cat gifted by the king to the British consul in Thailand was later displayed at a cat show in London.

These cats became popular with the Russian aristocracy and royal family. Nicholas II’s family already owned several, including Alexei’s cat, Kotka. From then on, Siamese cats rapidly spread across Europe and gained immense popularity.

Still, Europeans couldn’t help but take a little. This time, the "little" was the redrawing of colonial borders with Siam—to Siam’s detriment.

At the core of today’s Thailand–Cambodia dispute is the ancient Hindu temple Preah Vihear, located atop a cliff at their border. Built during the Khmer Empire’s golden age, the temple became a flashpoint in 1907 when French colonialists redrew the border.

When Cambodia transitioned into a nation-state, it had unresolved border claims on both sides. France settled one in Cambodia’s favor and one against. In the east, Vietnamese settlers had been moving into the Mekong Delta since the 18th century. France reinforced these claims, unintentionally laying the foundation for a future unified Vietnam.

Unintentionally—because France had divided the Vietnamese Empire into three parts to thwart its unification. But in drawing hard borders through mixed ethnic zones, France severed Khmer-majority areas from Cambodia.

To this day, Cambodian nationalists mourn the loss of "Kampuchea Krom" (the Mekong Delta + Saigon), even though losing that area was likely inevitable. Still, France gave back western Cambodia—including rice-rich Battambang and, crucially, Siem Reap (“Siam Defeated”)—home of Angkor Wat, the symbol of Cambodian identity.

Thus, Cambodian nationalism holds an ambivalent view of French colonialism. Thai nationalism, by contrast, clearly blames European imperialism for lost territory once ruled by Siam. Many don’t realize that when French explorers "discovered" Angkor Wat in 1860, it was technically under Siamese rule, albeit loosely administered.

At the heart of the dispute is Preah Vihear. In 1904, Siam and French-controlled Cambodia agreed to define the border along the Dangrek mountains, placing the temple in Siam. But in 1907, French cartographers issued a map showing the temple on Cambodian land. Thailand didn’t formally object for decades—an act seen later as tacit acceptance.

Thailand controlled the site for years and only noticed the map discrepancy in the 1930s. After the French withdrew in 1953, Thai troops moved in.

In 1959, Cambodia brought the case to the International Court of Justice. In 1962, the court ruled in Cambodia’s favor, citing Thailand’s delayed protest as implied consent. The temple was awarded to Cambodia. The case seemed closed, but resentment lingered.

The surrounding 4.6 km² remained in dispute. Thailand said the ruling only applied to the temple itself. Cambodia insisted the whole area be handed over. The conflict reignited in 2008 when Cambodia applied for UNESCO World Heritage status for the temple. Clashes erupted again in 2011, with both sides using heavy artillery.

In spring 2025, tensions flared again after Cambodia announced plans to build a tourist complex and military road in the disputed zone. Political instability in Thailand further fueled the crisis. On May 28, a Cambodian soldier was killed in a skirmish near the border, with both sides blaming each other.

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended on July 1 after a leaked conversation with former Cambodian PM Hun Sen in which she criticized Thai army actions near the temple. Paetongtarn, from a powerful political family, became Thailand’s youngest PM last year at just 38. Now, she faces possible permanent dismissal over that 17-minute call, which hinted at a rift between her government and the influential military.

The scandal and her suspension further destabilized this Southeast Asian kingdom, which has been shaken for years by political crises and changes at the top of power.

This time, the conflict again involved more than just light weapons. Large-scale clashes with artillery and airstrikes broke out on July 24. Thailand withdrew its ambassador and closed the border.