Inclusive Governance Under Fire: Assessing the Breakdown of Border Management Between Thailand and Cambodia in 2023-2025

Abstract

A decades-long border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia resurfaced during the period  from 2023 to 2025, revealing how fragile governance and the absence of inclusive mechanisms  can escalate local tensions into regional instability. This study addresses three key questions: (1)  What forms of governance failure are evident in this conflict? (2) Why did the failure occur? (3)  What are the broader consequences of these governance breakdowns? Drawing on events such  as unilateral military actions, failed bilateral negotiations, and politicized border management,  the study identifies key indicators of governance failure, including fragmented institutional  coordination, exclusionary decision-making, and disrupted political authority. These issues are  rooted in nationalistic dominance, limited involvement of non-state actors, and poor bilateral  communication. The conflict disrupted trade valued at over 170 billion baht annually, triggered  reciprocal economic sanctions, and affected more than 12,000 border residents, impacting  livelihoods, mobility, and public trust in governance. This paper argues that the crisis is not  merely a diplomatic standoff, but a manifestation of structural governance failure, where  mechanisms, authority, and responses failed to align. Without addressing these systemic  mismatches, states risk perpetuating fragile border governance and recurring instability.  Ultimately, inclusive and accountable governance is essential not only to resolve bilateral  conflicts, but to fulfill global commitments to peace, justice, and strong institutions under SDG  16.