Thailand’s armed forces are ready to defend the border in the face of a deadly clash with Cambodia that erupted last week, a top official said, adding that the country wants to maintain peace with its neighbor.

Claims over ownership of historical sites have raised nationalist tension between the two countries, notably in 2003 when rioters torched the Thai embassy and Thai businesses in Phnom Penh over an alleged remark by a Thai celebrity questioning jurisdiction over Cambodia's World Heritage-listed Angkor Wat temple.