Welcoming nearly 36 million international visitors last year, the Southeast Asian country of Thailand is among the most popular in the world for travelers looking to experience everything from new food flavors to colorful beaches.

Although Thailand’s biggest sources of tourism come from nearby Asian countries of Malaysia, China, and India, the United States also brought in over 500,000 visitors in the first half of 2025 in numbers that have risen steadily over the last five years, Thailand’s The Nation reported.

While generally considered a very safe destination for tourists, Thailand periodically sees a flareup of tensions with Cambodia over a shared border running for more than 500 miles in the north of the country.

The territorial dispute over its demarcation dates back to when Cambodia gained independence from France in 1953 and periodically results in breakouts of violence.

“U.S. citizens should avoid all travel within 50 kilometers of the Thailand-Cambodia border”

At the start of December, both the Thai and Cambodian side accused the other of violating a July ceasefire with airstrikes that resulted in the deaths of seven Cambodian civilians and three Thai soldiers, followed by the death of a 63-year-old Thai villager in the country’s first civilian death a few days later.

In response to the fighting, the U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Thailand put out a Dec. 16 travel advisory warning of “significant escalation in the conflict along the Thailand-Cambodia border.”

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“Both sides continue to report cross-border fire, and conditions remain volatile,” the advisory reads further. “U.S. citizens should avoid all travel within 50 kilometers of the Thailand-Cambodia border due to active hostilities and the unpredictable security situation. The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services in affected provinces.”

The embassy also advises following the instructions of Thai military and security forces if suddenly caught up in an area of active fighting, as well as exercising general caution in the country and particular regions.

Tourists often come to Thailand for its picturesque islands.

Image source: Shutterstock

“Absent other guidance, exercise caution”

“Absent other guidance, exercise caution or shelter in place if unexpectedly in the vicinity of conflict,” the advisory reads further.

Amid the periodic breakouts of fighting over the last months, the embassy has also issued regular updates about the situation between the two countries.

The Cambodian travel advisory, which previously warned only of street crime “in areas where foreigners gather” was also recently updated with a line advising tourists to avoid “areas along the Cambodian and Thai border due to armed conflict.”

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“Since December 11, there have been reports of isolated Thai airstrikes occurring both in provinces adjacent to the shared border and in areas up to 80 kilometers away,” a similar travel warning issued by the U.S. Embassy in Cambodia on Dec. 16 reads. “Cross-border fire continues, and the security situation remains volatile.”

But absent the shared border region, both Thailand and Cambodia are ranked at the low level two’s “exercise increased caution” rating also assigned to countries such as China and France.

China’s designation stemmed from tense relations with the U.S. (the country was lowered from level three in December 2024 in a move of reciprocity), while France’s cited risk of terrorist attacks in major cities.

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