While long-standing border disputes explain some of the current violence between Thailand and Cambodia, the conflict’s escalation is primarily driven by Thai elites’ drive to consolidate military

The current conflict between Cambodia and Thailand is a deeply troubling development in Southeast Asia. The recent clashes along the shared border between the two countries have reignited an old territorial dispute that had previously remained contained to diplomatic disagreements and minor skirmishes.

Violence broke out on the border between Thailand and Cambodia on Thursday as long-simmering tensions between the two nations exploded.

A war-like situation has erupted between Thailand and Cambodia, with military strikes targeting key locations and resulting in at least 12 deaths, dozens wounded, and mass evacuations. At the heart of this violent escalation lies the 900-year-old Preah Vihear Temple,

"The U.S. already flunked the test and that should be a wakeup call," a former senior U.S. State Department official told Newsweek.