Vietnam’s 1980s Attacks on Thai Soil

February 27, 2023

The 1980s saw a period of political tension between Vietnam and Thailand that manifested itself in a series of border raids and military skirmishes. The conflict began in 1979 when Vietnam invaded and occupied Cambodia, leading to a diplomatic rift between Thailand and Vietnam. 

With assistance from China, Pol Pot’s anti-Hanoi troops were able to regroup and reorganize along the Thai-Cambodian border in forested and mountainous areas. Khmer Rouge forces operated inside refugee camps in Thailand during the 1980s and early 1990s to destabilize the pro-Hanoi People’s Republic of Kampuchea, which Thailand refused to recognize. Hence, Vietnamese soldiers were in pursuit of Cambodian guerrillas who kept attacking Vietnamese occupation forces across the Thai-Cambodian border. By the mid-1980s, there had been numerous incursions by Vietnamese troops into Thai territory in the northern region of Isan.

Map or camps hostile to the People’s Republic of Kampuchea at the Thai-Cambodia border between 1979–1984(Map Compiled by Xufanc)

These incursions were primarily raids conducted by small squadrons of Vietnamese soldiers, operating at night. The intent of the raids was to target a range of infrastructure, military sites, and civilian locations. In some instances, there were direct attacks against Thai military personnel, with several fatalities recorded.

The raids continued until 1986 when the Vietnamese began to withdraw their forces from Cambodia as part of a wider peace agreement. It is estimated that during the height of the raids, up to 300 Thai soldiers were killed and many more injured. In response to the raids, the Thai government took a range of measures to fortify its borders, including the deployment of additional troops and the construction of fortifications.

The Thai government also responded to the raids diplomatically, issuing stern warnings and protests to the Vietnamese government. This diplomatic pressure was largely successful in pressuring the Vietnamese to cease the raids.

The last remaining Vietnamese troops were withdrawn from Kampuchea on 26 September 1989, marking the end of the Vietnamese occupation of Kampuchea after 10 years. As the departing Vietnamese soldiers passed through Phnom Penh, the capital of Kampuchea, they were greeted with much fanfare and publicity.

Overall, the 1980s Vietnamese border raids on Thailand were a military, diplomatic, and economic disaster for both countries. It is estimated that the raids cost both countries millions of dollars in damage and resources. The conflict also created a rift between the two countries, which the average Vietnamese or Thai would not know about, but which persists diplomatically to this day.