THAILAND’S snap general election on February 8 is being shaped by anger, fear and a surge of nationalist sentiment in communities along the Cambodian border, where recent clashes have left deep scars and reshaped political loyalties.
Reuters cited today that in Kantharalak, a district badly hit by cross-border fighting, veteran lawmaker Phumin Leethiraprasert is campaigning for re-election after switching political allegiances, a move he says reflects voters’ frustration with how the crisis was handled.
“I am not running for Pheu Thai this time around because of the border conflict,” said Phumin, 62, referring to the party of billionaire former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, which for decades dominated Thailand’s largely agrarian northeast.
Nationalist sentiment has surged across Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy following widespread criticism of the Pheu Thai-led administration’s handling of the border crisis, which escalated into the worst fighting with Cambodia in decades and left 149 people dead.
“Bombs hit our homes, and our people died,” said Phumin, a former doctor, as he addressed a small rally while campaigning under the banner of the Kla Tham Party, an ally of the ruling Bhumjaithai.
He said voters in his constituency had urged him to defect in response to the damage and displacement caused by the fighting.
The border conflict ultimately brought down the Pheu Thai-led government and led to the removal of Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thaksin’s daughter, from the premiership.
Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul took power but dissolved parliament less than 100 days later, triggering the snap election in an effort to capitalise on the wave of nationalism.
Anger and anxiety remain palpable in border communities such as Kantharalak, where 19 Thais were killed and hundreds of thousands forced to flee their homes during clashes in July and December.
“We have to make them afraid,” said Uthai, a 58-year-old resident of Sam Meng village, referring to Cambodia. “We have been too soft.”
Thailand and Cambodia agreed to a second ceasefire in late December, ending weeks of fighting after a July truce brokered with the help of US President Donald Trump collapsed.
Despite the ceasefire, many voters continue to back the Thai army’s proposal to build a border wall along parts of the 817-kilometre frontier, according to Phumin.
“They don’t want to see border crossings reopened or trade with Cambodia resume,” he said.
At campaign rallies, Anutin and his Bhumjaithai Party have underscored their support for the military and the proposed wall, positions echoed by other conservative, pro-army groups seeking to ride the nationalist wave.
That dynamic has put pressure on rival parties, particularly the progressive People’s Party, which leads opinion polls, and Pheu Thai, to adjust their messaging to avoid being portrayed as insufficiently patriotic.
“They are being portrayed as not nationalist enough, not patriotic enough, and not anti-Cambodian enough,” said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, describing efforts by pro-military parties to undermine their opponents.
The People’s Party, long associated with calls for military reform, has softened its anti-establishment tone during the campaign, emphasising diplomatic pressure on Cambodia to stabilise bilateral ties rather than sweeping institutional change.
Pheu Thai, meanwhile, is seeking to counter criticism linked to Thaksin’s once-close relationship with former Cambodian premier Hun Sen by stressing its commitment to defending Thailand’s sovereignty.
“We can live alongside them,” said Samrong Narasa, 52, whose home in Sam Meng, about 10 kilometres from the border, was destroyed by Cambodian shelling in December. “But we don’t want to be friends with them.”
As Thailand prepares to vote, security, sovereignty and the lingering trauma of the border conflict are set to remain at the heart of a campaign where no major party can afford to appear soft in the face of rising nationalist expectations. - January 28, 2026
