Cambodia to introduce military draft amid Thailand tensions
Royal Thai Army Infantry Soldier armed with a 5.56mm M16A1 assault rifle mans a defensive position during a combat tactics exercise, held at Thung Song, Thailand, during Exercise COBRA GOLD 2000.
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet stated that his government will institute military conscription starting next year, amid border clashes with Thailand, as reported by AP News on July 14th.
The neighbours have seen escalating tensions ensuing from an armed skirmish on May 28th in which one Cambodian soldier was killed. This confrontation occurred in a contested border area.
Despite both Cambodia and Thailand agreeing to reduce hostilities to avoid further escalation, the countries have continued to trade harsh rhetoric and threatened measures, keeping tensions high.
Thailand’s domestic political situation has also been thrown into turmoil. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended by the Constitutional Court after public outcry over a leaked phone call in which she appeared to criticise the military’s handling of the crisis. The recording was released by former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who was also on the call.
Hun Sen’s son and successor, Hun Manet, said that starting in 2026, a mandatory enlistment law originally approved back in 2006 will be enforced. He claimed that the long-dormant law will be implemented to fill manpower shortages while upgrading the military’s capabilities. Under the law, all Cambodians aged 18 to 30 are required to complete military service, but for women, enlistment is voluntary.
“This is our commitment,” Hun Manet said in a speech to the Cambodian military in the northern province of Kampong Chhnang.
Meanwhile, Thailand has maintained a long-standing system of conscription for 20-year-old men, selecting recruits through an annual lottery.
According to the CIA World Factbook, Cambodia’s armed forces number around 200,000, including a sizable military police force. Thailand, by comparison, has approximately 350,000 active-duty personnel.
Hun Manet has pushed for an increase in Cambodia’s military spending, even as the country remains one of Southeast Asia’s least developed. For 2025, Cambodia allocates $739 million, the largest share of its $9.32 billion national budget, to defence. The Prime Minister has renewed calls for Thailand to unconditionally reopen its border crossings with Cambodia, stating that his country is ready to reciprocate within hours.
Both countries were recently added to a list of countries to be affected by US tariffs by President Donald Trump. A flat 25% will be imposed on 12 other countries by August 1st, adding to further regional and global tensions.
Cambodia was also considered within an expansion of travel bans by the president in June, following perceived concerns over visa overstays and unreliable passport issuance systems.
AP News, Maghrebi.org
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