As bilateral tensions between Cambodia and Thailand, following the border clash in May 2025, have spread to cyberspace and could affect regional security.
By M. Faizal bin Abdul Rahman
July 21, 2025
Bilateral tensions between Cambodia and Thailand, following the border clash on May 28, 2025, between the two countries’ militaries, have spread to cyberspace. Both sides have traded accusations of cyberattacks, disinformation, and complicity in cybercrime, specifically online scams.
To an outside observer, this development could mark an evolution in the two countries’ relations as their historical rivalry and unresolved territorial dispute increasingly adopt digital characteristics. For the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), this development could be of concern due to its possible implications for the security and stability of regional cyberspace.
According to media reports, the Thai military said that the clash on May 28 happened when Thai soldiers returned fire in response to gunshots from the Cambodian side. However, the Cambodian military said that the Thai soldiers had attacked Cambodian soldiers who were conducting routine border patrol. Since then, both sides have engaged in a series of diplomatic exchanges, implemented measures that curtail cross-border trade and people movement, and beefed up their military forces along the disputed border. On July 14, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said that the tensions have given a reason for the Cambodian military to begin conscription in 2026.
Rising Cyber Tensions
The ongoing tit-for-tat actions between Cambodia and Thailand, along with the perceived institutional silence of ASEAN—possibly due to its practice of quiet diplomacy—have raised concerns that the bilateral tensions could destabilize ASEAN. However, how the tensions are playing out in cyberspace has received less attention. This is an area that warrants close attention, as ASEAN member states have committed to regional digital integration as a strategy for economic development and resilience. Furthermore, the regional grouping is set to launch the third iteration (for 2026–2030) of the ASEAN Cybersecurity Cooperation Strategy this year.
Cyberattacks increasingly came into the picture in June 2025 when the Thai media reported that Cambodian hackers—known as the AnonsecKh group—were launching Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on the websites of Thai government, military, and private sector institutions. There were also allegations of Cambodia using North Korean hackers to conduct cyberattacks on Thai institutions. Cambodia has denied any connections to North Korean hackers and accused Thailand of attempts to damage its international reputation. Furthermore, the Cambodian government reported that Thai hackers, known as “BlackEye-Thai,” have been targeting the websites of Cambodian government institutions since mid-June 2025.
Disinformation came into play as allegations of cyberattacks emerged. The Thai government has warned Thai citizens about online fake news, including stories claiming that “Thailand will seize Cambodia if Cambodia does not withdraw its forces” and that “Thailand is preparing to invade Cambodia.” On the other hand, the Cambodian government has warned Cambodian citizens about online fake news originating from foreign sources, including Thailand, since the border clash. Some of this fake news was reportedly generated using artificial intelligence (AI) and impersonated Cambodian institutions, as well as the voices of Cambodian leaders.
Cybercrime, specifically online scams, could gain from bilateral tensions as cross-border law enforcement cooperation to combat transnational criminal syndicates comes under strain due to its politicization. In June 2025, the Thai government reported that it faced challenges cooperating with Cambodia to investigate online scam centers because bilateral tensions have hampered two-way communication and information sharing. The Thai side was also investigating the role of the Cambodian commercial entity “Huione ”Group”—which is reportedly linked to the family of the President of the Cambodian Senate, Hun Sen—for facilitating scam operations. In response, Hun Sen accused Thailand of supplying electricity and internet connection to the border areas where scam centers operate. On July 14, the Thai government upped the ante by commencing legal actions against Hun Sen for the alleged cybercrime act of political interference through social media.
Digital Distrust and Bilateral Cooperation
Bilateral tensions have unquestionably made cyberspace a domain of conflict between Cambodia and Thailand, one that accompanies contestation over sovereignty in diplomatic, economic, legal, and military spaces. The fog of tensions could make it difficult to determine whether cyberattacks and disinformation were the actions of state-backed entities or overzealous, nationalistic hackers operating independently.
On the positive side, contesting in cyberspace—as a form of digital retaliation or psychological warfare—may allow the disputing countries to satisfy nationalist sentiments and continue the fight below the threshold of armed conflict, hence mitigating risks to regional peace. On the negative side, it is clear that bilateral trust in cyberspace has declined. The decline in trust could hamper cybersecurity and digital defense (in the military context) cooperation between the two neighboring countries, especially when politics influence operational-level engagements.
Regional Cyber Implications
Additionally, there may be an impact on cybersecurity or digital defense cooperation at the regional level, especially if two ASEAN member states harbor deeper digital distrust towards each other. At least three main issues come to mind.
First, how can Cambodia and Thailand ensure that they continue to cooperate meaningfully in information sharing and cyber incident response within the auspices of the ASEAN Regional Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT)? The breakdown in cybercrime cooperation between the two countries regarding online scams and the use of cybercrime investigation to probe political interference does not bode well for this issue.
Second, how can ASEAN ensure that the Cambodia-Thailand tensions do not hamper the implementation of the 11 Norms of Responsible State Behavior in Cyberspace, which is essential to ensuring a rules-based digital order in the ASEAN region? The conundrum is that, on the one hand, adherence to these norms could reduce options for digital retaliation. On the other hand, these norms are crucial to prevent cyber escalation.
Third, how would Cambodia-Thailand tensions impact activities conducted by the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) Experts’ Working Group (EWG) on Cybersecurity? Currently, Australia is co-chairing this EWG with Cambodia from 2024 to 2027. The tensions between the Cambodian and Thai militaries should not influence the agenda of this EWG, as it could risk further undermining the credibility and cohesion of ASEAN.
To conclude, bilateral tensions between Cambodia and Thailand in cyberspace, if they persist, could signal the start of open or discreet cyber contestation between ASEAN member states arising from disputes over sovereignty that involved a military confrontation. It remains to be seen if the tensions would affect interactions between Cambodian and Thai military officials during ASEAN-related meetings such as the ASEAN Roundtable on Digital Defence hosted by Singapore and the ASEAN Cyber Defence Network (ACDN) Meeting hosted by Malaysia.
This problem would not only create a political conundrum for ASEAN but also have a profound impact on the regional cybersecurity architecture. ASEAN may want to deliberate on this problem as it moves to launch the third ASEAN Cybersecurity Cooperation Strategy.
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