Is it safe to travel to Thailand and Cambodia is what travellers heading to Southeast Asia for the upcoming tourist high season are asking. Yes, it is, with a new ceasefire in place, and as long as you don’t travel within 50 kms of the Thailand-Cambodia border, the location of recent conflict, for now. The next most-asked questions are why Cambodia and Thailand were even fighting and could conflict flare up again. Here’s an explainer from travel writers who have lived in Southeast Asia for 15 years.
Update 9 December 2025: Thailand launched airstrikes on Cambodian military targets yesterday. While this is a dramatic escalation, conflict remains on the border areas, so the same travel advice below still applies. If travelling to Cambodia or Thailand, sign up to your foreign affairs or embassy websites for alerts. We’ll continue to monitor the situation and update this post as needed. While latest events shouldn’t impact your travels, it’s still important to stay informed.
It’s that time of year when travellers are planning Southeast Asia trips during the December-April dry season. Winter is tourist high season in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. In our adopted home Cambodia, the festival season recently began with Pchum Ben, then the Water Festival marking end of monsoon. Next up: Christmas (wonderful in Asia); and start of high season.
But this year, travellers are worrying about more than whether they’re going to be stuck on a long haul flight with a crying baby or seat-kicker behind them, if they’ll get a room with a view at their favourite Bangkok riverside hotel, get tables at the best restaurants in Bangkok and Siem Reap, and beat the crowds for sunrise at Angkor Wat.
Travellers’ concerns follow a recent Thailand-Cambodia border conflict resulting in almost 50 deaths and some 300,000 people displaced and media speculation there could be another coup in Thailand. The Friday death of Thailand’s beloved Queen Sirikit and announcement of a year of mourning means a coup is probably unlikely. Plus Thailand and Cambodia’s PMs signed a ceasefire deal on Sunday. Should travellers still be worried? We have advice.
We’ve been based in Southeast Asia since 2011 and have lived in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, where Siem Reap has been home since 2013. We’ve spent those years writing on Southeast Asia for newspapers, magazines and websites, including our own site Grantourismo; updating guidebooks to Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar; and covering archaeological discoveries for major media, which took us to some of the remote temples in the news.
Before we share our tips and an explainer on the situation, we have a favour to ask. If you’re planning a trip, please consider using our links to buy travel insurance (a must if heading to Thailand and Cambodia) or book flights with CheapOair, Kiwi.com or Etihad; book travel and accommodation on Booking.com, Agoda, Expedia, Wotif, ebookers, lastminute.com, or Trip.com; or book a transfer or tours on Get Your Guide, or transport on 12Go. We may earn a small commission that supports what we do here, but you won’t pay extra.
Here are our thoughts on whether it’s safe to travel to Thailand and Cambodia, where you can and cannot go, and some tips to staying safe if border tensions erupt again, or if there’s a coup in Thailand, which now seems unlikely.
Is It Safe to Travel to Thailand and Cambodia? An Explainer
So is it safe to travel to Thailand and Cambodia now that a new ceasefire agreement has been signed, and what on earth happened to cause the Thailand-Cambodia border conflict in the first place, are some of the questions travellers are asking. Here’s an explainer and tips from travel writers actually based in Cambodia and Thailand for 15 years. Yep, that’s us.
Terence took the images on this page during our first visit to Cambodia’s Preah Vihear temple, 140kms from Angkor Wat on the Cambodia-Thailand border, which has been the site of much of the recent conflict. Over the two days we visited Preah Vihear in 2013, our guides, a Cambodian tour guide and Cambodian soldier pointed out Thai soldiers in the forest, weapons in arms, in view of tourists visiting the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Khmer Empire temple.
Oddly enough, we were on a magazine assignment at another Khmer Empire archaeological site in Buriram province in Thailand’s northeastern Isaan during clashes between Thai and Cambodian soldiers in April 2011 around Prasat Ta Moan Thom and Prasat Ta Krabei temples. We were taking in the sunrise at hilltop Prasat Phanom Rung when we heard explosions and saw smoke rising in the distance.
It was around 50kms away on the border, and probably an NGO clearing landmines, our driver reassured us. Yet, the blasts continued throughout our temple visit, and looked more like a chaotic battle than controlled landmine clearing. Later that evening, as I wrote up notes and Terence downloaded images in our Khorat hotel room, we’d see the news and learn Thai and Cambodian soldiers had been killed and wounded during fighting that began at dawn that day.
Thousands of villagers were forced to flee and clashes continued into May 2011 when a ceasefire was agreed and Indonesian observers appointed. That explained the soldiers posted at Preah Vihear in 2013, and an ongoing military presence that has remained at the temple and along the border ever since — despite a unanimous 2013 ruling in Cambodia’s favour by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which decided in 1962 that Preah Vihear was in Cambodia.
What’s Been Going on With Thailand and Cambodia?
The 2025 Thailand-Cambodia armed conflict was the latest flare-up in a long-running territorial dispute over border demarcation, particularly at Cambodia’s 10th-century Preah Vihear temple. Tensions erupted again on 28 May 2025 after a Cambodian soldier was killed by Thai troops. The result was a five-day war between Thailand and Cambodia in July 2025, during which both countries established military control over different portions of the disputed border.
Barbed wire was erected and some claim landmines planted. Homes, schools and businesses were destroyed or damaged in villages along the border, and hundreds of thousands of civilians on both sides were displaced. In Cambodia, many of those refugees have been provided with shelter and food in Siem Reap. Despite a ceasefire on 28 July, random incidents of armed conflict continued.
Border clashes and closures motivated foreign affairs departments and embassies to update travel advisories, warning travellers to Cambodia and Thailand to avoid border areas, exercise greater caution should tensions surface again, and, in the instance of Thailand, especially if there’s political instability, a possible coup, and pro-democracy protests. Scroll down for more details on where it’s safe to go and where not to go, and our tips.
Is the Conflict Between Thailand and Cambodia Over?
Yes, the war between Cambodia and Thailand is over. A new ceasefire was signed on Sunday. Yet we’ve been asked why this ceasefire will stick if the July ceasefire didn’t. Because the American president oversaw the weekend’s signing of the Cambodia-Thailand ceasefire by the countries’ Prime Ministers, telling them they risked their US trade deals if they didn’t end hostilities, and promising “robust commerce and cooperation” if they did.
The latest ceasefire agreement requires that Thailand release 18 Cambodian soldiers who were captured and being held as prisoners-of-war, that Thailand and Cambodia cooperate to remove landmines and heavy weapons along the borders, and that a Malaysian peacekeeping force be deployed. After signing the agreement, separate trade deals between the Southeast Asian countries and USA were agreed. We reckon the ceasefire will hold this time.
Is It Safe to Travel to Thailand?
Yes, Thailand is safe for tourists, as long as you avoid the Thailand-Cambodia border areas for now, and more on that below. Regardless of the ceasefire, if you’re heading to Thailand, it’s still a good idea to check your country’s foreign affairs websites and travellers checklists, register your trip when possible, and sign up for updated travel advisories (scroll down for links).
Prior to the recent conflict, the USA named Thailand one of the world’s safest countries, alongside Japan, Australia, Canada, and Singapore. Although I have to say that despite being Australian, and having spent a lot of time back home in Australia over the last two years, I feel safer in Thailand and Cambodia than I do in Australia, especially after dark. There are things I’d do in Cambodia and Thailand, like strolling to the shop late at night, that I’d never do in Australia.
The World Population Review’s Safest Countries in the World 2025 list gives Thailand and Cambodia a rating of 2.02 out of 5, with 1 being the lowest (safest/most peaceful). Countries with a similar score include Morocco (2.01), Panama (2.01), Trinidad and Tobago (2.02), Saudi Arabia (2.04), Sri Lanka (2.08), and China (2.09). Interestingly, countries that scored higher (less safe/less peaceful), include India (2.23), South Africa (2.35), USA (2.44), and Mexico (2.64).
Where is it Safe to Travel in Thailand?
The safest cities and towns in Thailand include the most popular tourist destinations, the capital Bangkok; the next most popular tourist destination after the capital, the island Phuket and its capital Phuket Town; Thailand’s second city Chiang Mai; the towns that are home to Thailand’s most significant archaeological sites, Ayutthaya and Sukhothai; popular islands, such as Koh Samui; and the royal city Hua Hin, a popular holiday destination for Thai people.
Of course, you should take the same precautions in those places that you’d take in any big city, popular tourist destination and beach resort. Wherever you are around the world, there will always be an element of petty crime and thieves and scammers out to take advantage of laidback tourists in holiday mode in unfamiliar surroundings, who let their guard down. The same rules apply: don’t wear flashy jewellery, carry big wads of cash, or take valuables out.
The Australian consulate on Phuket has great tips for travellers on its website, including reminders not to disrespect the Thai monarchy and follow local customs; to be careful of strong rips on beaches; not to drink and drive (accidents involving alcohol aren’t covered by travel insurance); don’t hire motorbikes if you don’t have a motorbike license (not legal, despite what renters tell you); only drink sealed branded alcoholic beverages to avoid methanol poisoning; and more.
No-Go Areas in Thailand
Current advice is not to travel to areas within 50 kms of the Thailand-Cambodia land border. In Thailand, this includes the provinces of Sa Kaeo, Buriram, Si Saket, Surin, and Ubon Ratchathani, and Khmer Empire archaeological sites in those provinces. At the time of publishing this post, all border crossings along the Thailand-Cambodia border in those provinces are closed.
This is because there has been military activity in those areas, there are landmines and likely unexploded ordinance, villages and infrastructure have been damaged, and despite the July ceasefire, there were reports from both sides in local media of random incidents and sporadic violence.
If you must travel to those areas — for example, if you have family there — consult your embassy. If you’re embarking on a multi-country Southeast Asian trip and travelling from Cambodia to Thailand, we recommend taking a flight from Siem Reap to Bangkok and then travelling on to Chiang Mai, or Phuket, or Hua Hin and so on.
What If There’s a Coup in Thailand?
Despite Thailand’s long tourism history and reputation as a safe tourist destination, in recent months some regional experts have written about the possibility of a military coup in Thailand. In view of the terms of the recent ceasefire agreement and death of Thailand’s Queen and year-long mourning period, a coup seems unlikely now.
However, if heading to Thailand it’s worth keeping in the back of your mind that if there is a military coup, historically there has been violence on the streets of Bangkok during coups. As long as you know that, and know where not to go, you monitor local media, and you follow local advice, you should be able to avoid potentially dangerous places and stay safe.
If there is a coup in Thailand, contact your embassy in Thailand and/or register on the website of your country’s foreign affairs department, share your itinerary with family and friends, monitor reputable media and local media, follow your hotel’s advice, and avoid places where there could be protests by pro-democracy groups, students and political groups.
To appreciate why you need to avoid protests, it’s worth briefly looking at Thailand’s political history. As wonderful as the country is for travellers, Thailand has historically been one of the least politically-stable countries in Southeast Asia. There’s a long history of military coups in Thailand, with 22 attempted coups, including 13 ‘successful’ coups since 1932 that resulted in military dictatorships.
The most recent coup d’états in Thailand were the 2006 coup and 2014 coup, which resulted in a military junta until 2019, then semi-military rule until May 2023 elections. The party that won most seats in the 2023 election was unable to form a coalition government so the opportunity to govern was passed to the Pheu Thai party and Srettha Thavisin became PM until he was dismissed in August 2024.
Those kinds of political events tend to see pro-democracy groups rallying, which historically resulted in crackdowns such as the 6 October 1976 massacre of students at Thammasat university and Black May massacre of democracy protestors following the 1991 military coup, all of which is to explain why it’s essential to stay well away from any protests, and avoid places where protests typically take place, such as universities. More details below.
Places to Avoid if There Are Protests
These are some of the places you should avoid in the unlikely event that there’s a coup in Thailand while you’re there and pro-democracy groups organise large rallies. Protestors usually gather at historically significant places, such as around Democracy Monument, where some of the 2020-21 protests took place; Sanam Luang, a large field and public space; and Ratchadamnoen Avenue.
Ratchadamnoen Avenue begins at the northeast corner of Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace, and runs through Phra Nakhon and the royal Dusit districts. The road has been called “the most politically charged landmark” in Bangkok and location of many ideologically struggles in modern Thai history.
Sanam Luang has historically been the site of some of the largest protests, including 2020 protests and the massive 14 October 1973 popular uprising, which saw tanks, helicopters and army infantry brought in to support police. There is a memorial for the victims on Ratchadamnoen Avenue, where wreaths are laid and speeches made to commemorate victims on the anniversary of the revolt.
Having said all that, Sanam Luang, which is opposite Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, and the Grand Palace, some of Bangkok’s most popular tourist attractions, is also a site of royal ceremonies and royal cremations. In view of the Thai Queen’s death on the weekend, Sanam Luang is likely to be the location of funeral and mourning activity over the next 12 months, so should be perfectly safe.
In the unlikely event that there’s a military coup while you’re in Thailand, your hotel reception staff should be the first point of contact for advice on places to avoid. Monitor the media for information on areas where there are protests and contact your embassy to register and seek advice. Tourists are rarely affected by military coups and protests, as long as they avoid rallies and politically-charged locations.
Is It Safe to Travel to Cambodia?
Yes, Cambodia is safe for tourists as at the date of publication of this post, as long as you avoid the Thailand-Cambodia border areas for now, and more on that below. In fact, like Thailand, Cambodia is one of the safest countries for travellers, especially solo women travellers. See the section above Is It Safe to Travel to Thailand? for more details.
As per our advice on Thailand, if you’re heading to Cambodia, check your country’s foreign affairs websites and embassy websites, and their travellers checklists, register your trip when you can, sign up for updated travel advisories, and monitor reliable media and local media. Scroll down for more info.
Where is it Safe to Travel in Cambodia?
Aside from the no-go border areas in Cambodia, below, most of Cambodia is safe for travellers. Safe places in Cambodia include the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh; the popular tourist destination of Siem Reap, departure point for Angkor Wat and Angkor Archaeological Park, and our home since 2013; and riverside Battambang, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, among other places.
The same precautions should be taken in Cambodia that you’d take in Thailand and many other big cities, holiday destinations and beach resorts around the world, that we covered above: be alert to petty crime, and thieves and scammers out to take advantage of relaxed travellers in vacation mode in unfamiliar surroundings. Leave the valuables in the hotel safe, don’t wear expensive jewellery, and don’t carry lots of cash.
No-Go Areas in Cambodia
The official advice is not to travel to areas within 50 kms of the Thailand-Cambodia land border for now. In Cambodia, this includes the provinces of Banteay Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey, and Preah Vihear, and includes Khmer Empire archaeological sites within that 50km range such as Preah Vihear temple.
This is because there is military activity in those areas, there are landmines and likely unexploded ordinance, villages and infrastructure have been damaged, and despite the ceasefire, there have been reports from both sides in local media of random incidents and sporadic violence.
At the time of publishing this post, all overland border crossings along the Thailand-Cambodia border in those provinces are closed. If you must travel to those areas — for example, if you have family there — you should consult your embassy and local authorities, and monitor local media.
If you’re embarking on a multi-country Southeast Asian trip, we recommend taking a flight from Bangkok to Siem Reap and then travelling overland to Battambang and/or Phnom Penh.
Reliable Sources of Travel Advice for Thailand and Cambodia
Your first point of call for the latest travel advice for Thailand and Cambodia should be your country’s foreign affairs and embassy websites. You should also monitor reliable media and local media.
Foreign Affairs Websites
Australian travellers should subscribe to the Smart Traveller website for the latest Cambodia updates and latest Thailand updates from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). It’s also worth reading the Consular Services Charter so you’re clear on what embassies and consulates can and cannot help you with when you travel.
Americans should consult their Department of State website’s Travel Advisories and sign up to the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to get email updates from local US embassies and consulates. They also have a helpful section on Global Events Affecting International Travel and a very handy International Travel Advisory Map.
British travellers will find Foreign Travel Advice on the UK Government’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) website, including Cambodia Travel Advice and Thailand Travel Advice. You can also sign up for notifications and find a helpful foreign travel checklist.
Canadian should check the Government of Canada’s Travel Advice and Advisories for Cambodia Travel Advice and Thailand Travel Advice. There’s a handy travellers checklist and you can register your trip.
But do note that advice can often be overly-cautious. There are some pieces of advice that need to be taken with a grain of salt. We say that based on 27 years living abroad as expats. We’ve never experienced any of the scams that Australia’s Smart Traveller website warn travellers to Cambodia and Thailand about. Touch wood!
Our worst experiences have been with dodgy taxi drivers at Bangkok airport and tuk tuk drivers in Bangkok’s old town, which is why we recommend booking airport transfers and/or using Grab. Grab vehicles can be tracked, drivers are registered, you can very quickly get hold of Support by message or phone, and fares can easily be refunded if you use credit/debit cards.
The long lists of vaccinations recommended on Travel Advisories aren’t always necessary; it’s best to consult your GP and specialist travel clinics rather than get a gazillion vaccinations that you might not need.
Warnings such as only eating cooked food and avoiding undercooked meat and salads are also overly cautious. I strongly recommend trying Cambodia’s fantastic raw beef salads, which we liken to Cambodia’s carpaccio, at Siem Reap’s excellent fine dining restaurants such as Lum Orng Farm to Table and Embassy.
Reliable Media Sources
It’s important to monitor the most reliable and most reputable news media with Southeast Asian correspondents based in the region, such as The Guardian, ABC, BBC, Al Jazeera, and New York Times, and regional publications such as South China Morning Post. For in-depth analysis, look to sites such as The Diplomat.
Local Media Sources
Local news websites such as Bangkok Post and The Nation in Thailand and Phnom Penh Post and Khmer Times in Cambodia are a good source for practical information on political events and places to avoid. But be aware that reporting can be biased. In Thailand, Khao Sod is a good independent English language news site.
