The article describes how Thai forces have consolidated control over patches of disputed land along the Thailand–Cambodia border, leaving Cambodian communities displaced and grieving lost homes and goods. More than 1,200 families from villages such as Chouk Chey and Prey Chan are sheltering at a pagoda with Chinese-donated tents about 20 km away. Both governments cite historical claims from a French colonial-era demarcation; clashes last year killed dozens and displaced over a million people in July and again in December. Authorities say around 64 hectares were reclaimed in one area, while residents report bulldozed homes and seized property.
Border Gains, Broken Lives: Cambodians Mourn As Thai Forces Consolidate Disputed Land
Soldiers stand guard in front of an excavator filling a truck with debris on February 5, 2026 during a military organised tour near Ban Nong Chan, an area now controlled by Thai forces (ANTHONY WALLACE)(ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP/AFP)
A rusting, ice-green shipping container mounted by Thai forces on territory Bangkok says is its border with Cambodia bears a blunt warning: "Cambodian citizens are strictly prohibited from entering this area." The container, a makeshift barricade and coils of barbed wire mark a seam in communities that for years considered the land their home.
Military Moves and Displaced Families
Thai forces seized several patches of disputed land during clashes last year and have since been consolidating positions. In one village the military says it "reclaimed" around 64 hectares in December; other seized areas could amount to several square kilometres in total. Cambodian residents say the moves left homes bulldozed and livelihoods destroyed.
Human Cost
More than 1,200 families from villages including Chouk Chey and Prey Chan are sheltering at a pagoda about 20 kilometres away, where blue tents donated by China are packed into the grounds. Residents report losing houses, personal belongings and stock: one woman, Kim Ren, says her land was taken and she lost roughly $30,000 in grocery inventory and the $50,000 house she built after buying the plot in 1993.
"The Thais reset us to zero. We don't have any more hope," said Kim Ren, describing the loss of her home and goods.
Voices From Both Sides
On the Thai-controlled side, soldiers staged a media tour where excavators loaded rubble and Thai flags flew. Army spokesman Winthai Suvaree told journalists the operation required caution because civilians still live in affected areas. Some Thai residents say they, too, suffered from shelling and displacement; one Thai villager, Anupong Kannongha, said his house was nearly levelled.
Both governments maintain competing claims rooted in a century-old dispute over a French colonial-era demarcation of their roughly 800-kilometre frontier. Phnom Penh says Thai forces captured multiple areas in border provinces and has demanded withdrawal. Bangkok says it has reclaimed land that historically belongs to Thailand and had been occupied by Cambodians.
Wider Context
Tensions along the border flared into several rounds of clashes last year, killing dozens of soldiers and civilians and displacing more than a million people in July and again in December. Local officials and aid groups warn that displaced families face precarious conditions and need longer-term assistance beyond temporary shelter.
What remains clear: the contested frontier continues to produce human suffering on both sides, while diplomats and local authorities debate maps, history and the fate of land that many families have cultivated for decades.
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