Thailand says it carried out air and ground operations along the Cambodian border as hostilities escalated, breaking the U.S. brokered ceasefire that halted five days of clashes in July.
Fighting that began overnight on Monday spread across several locations before dawn, with both Thailand and Cambodia accusing each other of initiating the violence. Thai authorities confirmed one soldier killed, while Cambodia reported four civilian deaths. Officials on both sides said the clashes were among the most intense since the summer.
Thailand said its fighter jets targeted Cambodian military positions after what it described as the mobilisation of heavy weapons and the repositioning of combat units close to the border. A Thai military official said the strikes hit long-range rockets that Cambodia had deployed in the area. Cambodia rejected the claim, saying its forces came under sustained attack but did not respond.
Competing narratives
Thailand’s army chief of staff, General Chaipruak Doungprapat, said the aim of the air operations was to weaken Cambodia’s military capability. The Thai Navy separately reported Cambodian forces inside Thai territory in Trat province and said operations had been launched to expel them. It accused Cambodian units of digging trenches, reinforcing positions and deploying snipers.
Cambodia described Thailand’s account as inaccurate and accused its neighbour of using disproportionate force. The defence ministry said its units were adhering to the ceasefire agreed in July and had avoided retaliatory fire. It called on the international community to condemn what it characterised as violations of Cambodian sovereignty.
Breakdown of the July ceasefire
The July ceasefire, negotiated after five days of rocket and artillery exchanges that killed at least 48 people and displaced 300,000, had reduced hostilities but left underlying tensions unresolved. Last month, Thailand suspended de-escalation steps agreed at a summit attended by U.S. President Donald Trump, citing the maiming of a Thai soldier in a landmine blast.
Thai officials said seven soldiers had been wounded by mines since July, and believe some devices were newly planted. Cambodia denied laying new mines and said it remained committed to the ceasefire terms.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said there would be no talks unless Cambodia met conditions set by Bangkok. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said Thailand must stop using military force near civilian areas.
Regional and international responses
A senior Trump administration official said the U.S. expected both countries to honour commitments to end the conflict. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who helped facilitate the earlier truce as ASEAN chair, urged restraint and warned of renewed instability if communication channels collapsed.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called on Thailand and Cambodia to avoid further escalation and said the United Nations was prepared to support efforts to restore stability.
Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen said the exchanges appeared designed to provoke retaliation but urged Cambodian forces to remain restrained.
Civilian displacement and local impact
Thailand evacuated 438,000 civilians across five provinces near the border, while Cambodian authorities said hundreds of thousands had been moved inland. Cambodian television broadcast images of congested rural roads, filled with trucks, motorbikes, and farming vehicles, as people left affected regions.
A verified eyewitness video showed smoke rising after a reported Thai airstrike. Thai broadcasts showed families entering evacuation centres, others taking shelter in bunkers or large concrete pipes. Residents described hearing a mix of small arms fire and heavy artillery throughout the morning.
Longstanding unresolved border issues
Thailand and Cambodia share an 817 km border that remains undemarcated at several points, particularly around areas containing historic temples. These locations have been the focus of nationalist sentiment and periodic military engagements. A week-long artillery exchange in 2011 resulted in casualties on both sides and drew international attention.
Tensions resurfaced in May after a Cambodian soldier was killed during a skirmish, prompting a troop buildup and a breakdown in diplomatic communication. With both sides now accusing each other of violating previous agreements, the path back to negotiation remains uncertain.
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Thailand launched air strikes along its disputed border with Cambodia on Monday after fresh fighting erupted before dawn on Monday, raising fears of the collapse of a peace plan brokered just months ago by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Thailand will proceed with talks to finalise a reciprocal trade agreement with the United States, a government spokesperson confirmed on Saturday. The discussions will be kept separate from the ongoing border dispute with Cambodia.
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