BANGKOK, Phnom Penh: Relations between Thailand and Cambodia suffered a major blow on Wednesday after a leak of a telephone conversation between Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and influential former Cambodian Premier Hun Sen that could further escalate tensions. 

Ties between the two neighbors are at their worst in more than a decade after a row over border territory that has sparked fears of a military confrontation following a sharp rise in nationalist rhetoric and the mobilization of troops on both sides of their frontier.

The leaked June 15 phone call, which has been confirmed as authentic by both Hun Sen and Paetongtarn, shows the Thai premier telling Hun Sen, whom she called uncle, that she is under domestic pressure and urging him not to listen to 鈥渢he opposite side鈥� which includes a prominent Thai military commander at the border.

鈥淗e just want to look cool and saying things that are not useful to the nation, but in truth what we want is peace,鈥� she told Hun Sen through a translator in the leaked audio clip, referring to the general.

Paetongtarn later told reporters her conversation with Hun Sen was part of a negotiation tactic and she has no problem with the Thai army.

鈥淚 won鈥檛 be talking privately with him (Hun Sen) anymore because there is a trust problem,鈥� she said.

Hun Sen said the leak came from one of the 80 politicians he shared the audio recording with. Self-styled strongman Hun Sen was Cambodia鈥檚 premier for nearly four decades and has maintained a high public profile since handing over power in 2023 to his son, Prime Minister Hun Manet. 

The two governments had until recently enjoyed warm ties, helped by the close relationship between Hun Sen and Thailand鈥檚 former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, Paetongtarn鈥檚 influential father. Both former leaders are still active in politics.

Fierce rhetoric

The leak could put that relationship in jeopardy and will add to speculation in Thailand that Paetongtarn and the powerful Thai military are at odds on how to respond to the border crisis with Cambodia.

Cambodia鈥檚 rhetoric has become more fierce in the past week, with Hun Sen blaming Thai 鈥渆xtremists鈥� and the Thai army for stoking tensions, saying Paetongtarn鈥檚 government was 鈥渦nable to control its military the way our country can.鈥�

The billionaire Shinawatra family has a troubled history with the army, with two of its governments ousted by generals in coups in 2006 and 2014.

Lt. Gen. Boonsin Padklang, commander of Thailand鈥檚 Second Army Area overseeing the eastern border, on Wednesday told local media that Paetongtarn had called him to explain the leak.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 have any issue, I understand,鈥� Boonsin said. The weeks-long standoff followed a brief border skirmish on May 28 that left a Cambodian soldier dead. Both countries have called for calm while vowing to defend their sovereignty over contested stretches of a 820-km (510-mile) land border, parts of which are undemarcated. Attempts to settle the issue have failed, with Cambodia on Sunday delivering on its vow to seek resolution at the International Court of Justice, the jurisdiction of which Thailand says it does not recognize.

On Wednesday, Cambodia鈥檚 defense ministry said Thailand had again violated its sovereignty with drone flights, trench digging and troop deployments, which Bangkok rejected.

Thousands of Cambodians joined a state-organized march in the capital Phnom Penh on Wednesday to support the government, shouting slogans, waving national flags and holding portraits of Hun Manet and Hun Sen.

鈥淐ambodia鈥檚 land! We won鈥檛 take others鈥� land, we keep our land!鈥� some chanted.