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It is a row that will not be easily resolved, as Phnom Penh appears to relish the chance to cross swords with Bangkok.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong has written to the chairmen of Asean and the United Nations Security Council asking the regional and international organisations to mediate the border stand-off near Preah Vihear. Meanwhile, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has written to Unesco asking it to help protect the famed World Heritage site from military intrusion.

Cambodia's multipronged approach to the situation has bloodied Thailand's nose on the international stage. And a conflict with another member of the regional grouping could not have come at a worse time for Thailand, because it is due to take up Asean's rotating chair this week. Compounding the problem is the issue being put before the Security Council. This will harm not only Thailand, but also Asean's credibility for failing to resolve the problem either bilaterally or within its sphere of influence.

The sad thing is what is now a military stand-off at Preah Vihear would never have happened had certain groups of Thais, including street protesters, the opposition party and some senators, reacted more appropriately to the temple's inscription as a World Heritage site.

The world has known for 46 years that the Hindu temple belongs to Cambodia, as per a ruling by the International Court of Justice in 1962. Thailand has no right to the ancient archaeological site. Instead, we should be congratulating our neighbour for its achievement. Jealously protesting and opposing the World Heritage Committee's decision is not a civilised way to respond to a neighbour's success.

Also, the Cambodians living adjacent to the temple are not really strangers to the area, since they have been there since 2004. Their presence has prompted an official protest by the Thai government, but why do people in this country feel the need to chase them out four years down the line?

As long as a boundary demarcation remains murky, encroachment is not going to be so unusual. Thailand has lodged official protests on this particular matter in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008, but there have been no military stand-offs or anything else until last week, when certain groups raised an outcry over the World Heritage listing. They placed the blame on the Samak Sundaravej government for failing to protect our sovereignty over the area.

Samak, who up until now has made no big deal of the presence of the Cambodian community or even the armed forces in the area, has changed his tone, writing a letter to Hun Sen and claiming the area for Thailand.

So what was once dubbed an "overlapping area" is now claimed by both sides. It is ringed by troops, and there will be a cost to pay.

Prior to the World Heritage designation, Phnom Penh had exercised restraint on inflammatory comments made by street protesters in Thailand. But they have changed their tune for ostensibly political reasons as the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) campaigns for the election next Sunday. Any loss of territory for Cambodia at this delicate stage will be no joking matter for that country, so the CPP needs to show it is strong.

Cambodian delegations at all manner of international forums are being instructed to raise the issue of Preah Vihear, in order to ratchet up the pressure on Thailand. In Singapore, Asean and its post-ministerial meetings - the East Asia Summit and more than likely today's Asean Regional Forum, at which US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be in attendance - are hearing or will hear Cambodia's complaints. Thailand's delegations can only respond in an embarrassing way.

International conflicts often tend to favour the underdog. Thailand, which likes to present itself as a mature country, is being forced onto the defensive. A counter-attack, such as some groups are demanding, will not be easy.