The reescalation of conflict was sparked on May 28, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in an early morning clash between both nations’ troops, in an area called the Emerald Triangle—the shared border between Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. The area remains disputed as both Thailand and Cambodia lay claims to parts of the region.

Cambodians hold national flags and a portrait of Cambodia's Hun Sen as they attend a "Solidarity March" to support the government's decision to deploy the army at the disputed Thailand-Cambodia border,