Cambodian tattooist mourns lost trade as border conflict displaces thousands

More than 3,000 houses stand in neat rows across Rong Cham, a 400-hectare resettlement site dubbed by residents 'the Waiting Village'. Families who fled fighting along the Cambodia-Thailand border still wait to return home nine months after a ceasefire took hold.

Among them is Cheng Bora, a tattoo artist known as Sam, who once ran a thriving shop at Boeung Trakuon, a bustling trade crossing point on the border. He now works from a small house in Rong Cham, taking on other jobs like plumbing and minor construction to make ends meet. Sam said that before the fighting started, the area was very busy and it was easy to make money.

Rong Cham was built to house families who fled clashes between Cambodian and Thai troops that erupted in July 2025 over a long-contested stretch of their shared border, flaring again in December before a ceasefire. The clashes marked one of the most serious escalations between the two neighbors in years.

Cambodian authorities say over 20,000 people are still unable to go home, according to UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews. Thai military positions reportedly sit inside territory Phnom Penh considers its own. Thailand has denied illegally occupying Cambodian territory, stating it is following a bilateral ceasefire agreement. Border crossings remain closed.

Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred to an August 1 statement when asked for comment, saying it was up to the Cambodian government to handle care for its citizens affected by the fighting. Sam's household has been split, with his nine-year-old daughter living with him while his adult son remains in Thailand with other family. Sam worries most about when he can return to his old house and whether there will be a third bout of fighting.