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Border Tension and Online Fraud Cooperation in Thai-Cambodia Relations (2021–2026): A Security Dilemma Spillover Perspective

Xu, Zihao (2026) COSM40 20261
Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University
Abstract
This paper studies the relationship between Thai-Cambodia border tensions and cooperation against online fraud from February 2021 to February 2026. Online fraud has become a serious cross-border problem in Southeast Asia, and Thailand and Cambodia both have reasons to cooperate against scam compounds and related criminal networks. At the same time, their relationship is shaped by a long history of border tension. This study asks how changes in border tension affect the depth of anti-fraud cooperation between the two countries. The study uses an event-based single-case analysis. It codes 100 border-related events and 23 anti-fraud cooperation events, based on official documents, media reports and secondary sources. The analysis shows that... (More)
This paper studies the relationship between Thai-Cambodia border tensions and cooperation against online fraud from February 2021 to February 2026. Online fraud has become a serious cross-border problem in Southeast Asia, and Thailand and Cambodia both have reasons to cooperate against scam compounds and related criminal networks. At the same time, their relationship is shaped by a long history of border tension. This study asks how changes in border tension affect the depth of anti-fraud cooperation between the two countries. The study uses an event-based single-case analysis. It codes 100 border-related events and 23 anti-fraud cooperation events, based on official documents, media reports and secondary sources. The analysis shows that anti-fraud cooperation does not simply rise or fall in a linear way. During high-pressure border conflict clusters, deeper forms of cooperation are largely absent. They reappear mainly during moments of de-escalation. The paper argues that this pattern can be explained through a security dilemma spillover: border tensions increase distrust, make cooperation politically risky, and push governments to prioritize traditional security concerns over non-traditional security cooperation. (Less)
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author
Xu, Zihao
supervisor
organization
course
COSM40 20261
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Thai-Cambodia relations, online fraud, border tension, non-traditional security, security dilemma spillover
language
English
id
9243497
date added to LUP
2026-06-24 11:25:10
date last changed
2026-06-24 11:25:10
@misc{9243497,
  abstract     = {{This paper studies the relationship between Thai-Cambodia border tensions and cooperation against online fraud from February 2021 to February 2026. Online fraud has become a serious cross-border problem in Southeast Asia, and Thailand and Cambodia both have reasons to cooperate against scam compounds and related criminal networks. At the same time, their relationship is shaped by a long history of border tension. This study asks how changes in border tension affect the depth of anti-fraud cooperation between the two countries. The study uses an event-based single-case analysis. It codes 100 border-related events and 23 anti-fraud cooperation events, based on official documents, media reports and secondary sources. The analysis shows that anti-fraud cooperation does not simply rise or fall in a linear way. During high-pressure border conflict clusters, deeper forms of cooperation are largely absent. They reappear mainly during moments of de-escalation. The paper argues that this pattern can be explained through a security dilemma spillover: border tensions increase distrust, make cooperation politically risky, and push governments to prioritize traditional security concerns over non-traditional security cooperation.}},
  author       = {{Xu, Zihao}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Border Tension and Online Fraud Cooperation in Thai-Cambodia Relations (2021–2026): A Security Dilemma Spillover Perspective}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}