Generation Under Pressure: What Young Thai and Cambodian People Really Think About the Border Conflict

As the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia intensifies, a generation of young people on both sides finds itself caught between nationalism, digital propaganda and a deep longing for peace. For many youths, the war is no longer a distant political dispute: it is lived daily through social media feeds, disrupted friendships, and uncertain futures.

A Conflict Lived Through Screens

For Thailand’s and Cambodia’s youth, the battlefield often begins online. Platforms such as TikTok, Facebook and X have become arenas for clashing narratives—ranging from incendiary insults and viral clips of destroyed landmarks to triumphant displays of flags. Influencers with nationalist followings amplify these messages, pushing young users toward a performance of “defending national honor” that often eclipses nuanced debate.

Mental health professionals and nongovernmental groups in the region report rising anxiety and exhaustion among adolescents and university students who are inundated with alarming content, rumors and graphic imagery. Many feel forced to adopt polarized positions, reducing a complex geopolitical dispute to a binary choice of allegiance.

Cambodian Youth: Patriotism and Collective Action

Among young Cambodians, the conflict has rekindled feelings of national pride and historical memory. Many express strong support for their government’s stance defending disputed territories and tightening the frontier, a narrative that spreads widely on social networks. However, this nationalism is not solely combative. Some young activists work to counter misinformation, organize aid for displaced families, and appeal for calm and critical evaluation of online content.

A notable thread among these voices is a distinction between opposition to war and hostility toward ordinary Thai people. Many Cambodian youths emphasize that the true adversary is conflict itself, not the everyday students, workers or migrants across the border.

Thai Youth: Military Trust and Diverging Views

In Thailand, a significant segment of young people—especially outside major cities—express confidence in the military to manage the border crisis, reflecting broader societal attitudes toward national defense. Nationalistic sentiment is particularly visible in digital spaces, with some youths echoing narratives of territorial defense and even celebrating aggressive postures against Cambodia.

Yet there is also a strong counter-current among Thailand’s younger generation. Students involved in pro-democracy movements and human rights circles openly challenge militarized rhetoric, condemn xenophobic messaging toward Cambodians, and argue for peaceful resolution based on international law. According to regional rights groups, some young Thai human rights defenders have faced intimidation for advocating empathy rather than enmity.

Real-World Impacts: Broken Connections and Lost Opportunities

For young people living near the border or studying abroad, the conflict’s effects have been tangible. Schools have closed, academic exchanges paused, and many workers—especially Cambodian migrants in Thailand—have returned home amid fears of violence and discrimination. These ruptures have strained friendships, disrupted education and left a sense of loss for the everyday interactions that once defined cross-border life.

Despite growing resentment shaped by bombings, casualties and government messaging, many youths on both sides speak wistfully of a time when borders were mere lines, not barriers—when travel, work and study across borders were ordinary. This shared yearning underscores a deeper ambivalence toward

People Resisting Hate

Against the backdrop of rising hostility, organized efforts by youth activists, journalists and digital creators seek to challenge the dominant narratives of enmity. Joint campaigns, video collaborations, fact-checking workshops and cross-border dialogues aim to show that the “other” is more than an enemy stereotype. These initiatives may be marginal amid the torrent of hostile content, but they illuminate an alternative perspective: one where the border is not just a line to defend but a shared space to rebuild.

For these young voices, the stakes are clear: they want to move beyond polarization and restore the possibility of coexistence—not just as citizens of warring nations, but as neighbors, friends and a new generation shaped by common histories and common hopes.