And while Cambodia continues to use the French-drawn map as a reference for where nations begin and end along the 800km-length of the Thai-Cambodian border, Thailand contests the validity of these borders.

The countries have a history of occasional conflict, but this latest fight comes after an old friendship crumbled.

Border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia are nothing new. Disputes have persisted for more than a century along their 817km frontier, much of it poorly demarcated. A key flashpoint is the Preah Vihear temple, a 1,000-year-old Unesco World Heritage Site.