Renewed tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have escalated into open conflict along their disputed 817-km border, with Thailand launching airstrikes into Cambodian territory on Monday.
The fighting, which intensified around 5:00 a.m. local time (2200 GMT), broke out after both nations accused the other of breaching a ceasefire previously brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Thailand's Air Force confirmed the use of air power to hit Cambodian military targets, claiming this was prompted by Cambodia mobilizing heavy weaponry, repositioning combat units, and preparing for an escalation of military operations.
The aim was "to deter and reduce Cambodia's military capabilities." The clashes have resulted in at least one Thai soldier killed and eight wounded. Cambodia's defence ministry stated that the Thai military launched "dawn attacks" at two locations following days of provocative actions. Crucially, they assert that Cambodian forces have not retaliated.
Former longtime leader Hun Sen (father of the current premier) urged Cambodian forces to exercise restraint, labeling the Thai military as "aggressors" seeking a retaliatory response. Three Cambodian civilians have been seriously injured. A massive evacuation is underway in Thailand, with over 385,000 civilians across four border districts affected and more than 35,000 already moved to temporary shelters.
Across the border in Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey Province, over 1,100 families have also been evacuated due to the fighting and artillery shelling. The renewed fighting risks unraveling the peace agreement signed in October, which followed a five-day conflict in July that killed at least 48 people and displaced 300,000. ASEAN Chair Anwar Ibrahim urged both sides to use maximum restraint.
The long-standing border dispute, dating back to French colonial-era mapping in 1907, has seen previous outbreaks of fighting, notably a week-long exchange in 2011.Tensions had been rising since May 2025. Thailand halted the truce last month, citing a landmine blast that maimed a soldier, and repeatedly accuses Cambodia of planting fresh landmines along the border—a charge Phnom Penh denies.
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