A dangerous escalation in the long-standing Thailand-Cambodia border dispute erupted on Thursday, July 24, 2025, as Thailand launched airstrikes on Cambodian military targets near the contested Ta Moan Thom Temple in Oddar Meanchey province, Cambodia.
The Thai military’s 2nd Regional Command in the northeast confirmed via Facebook that F-16 fighter jets were deployed, claiming to have “destroyed” two Cambodian regional military headquarters.
The strikes followed deadly clashes that killed at least 11 Thai civilians and one soldier, with Thailand closing all border crossings with Cambodia in response.
The conflict was triggered early Thursday when both nations accused each other of initiating hostilities near the disputed border, a region fraught with tension for over a century due to undemarcated boundaries drawn during Cambodia’s French colonial era.
Thailand’s Deputy Army spokesperson, Col. Richa Suksuwanont, stated that the airstrikes targeted only military installations, emphasizing Thailand’s intent to protect its sovereignty.
However, Cambodia’s Defense Ministry condemned the strikes as “brutal, barbaric, and violent military aggression,” asserting that a Thai F-16 dropped two bombs on a road near the Wat Kaew Seekha Kiri Svarak Pagoda, within Cambodian territory, violating international law.
The violence follows a series of incidents that have strained bilateral relations. On July 23, 2025, a Thai soldier lost a leg to a landmine explosion in the disputed area, the second such injury in a week, prompting Thailand to recall its ambassador and expel Cambodia’s envoy from Bangkok.
Thailand accused Cambodia of planting the landmines, a charge Phnom Penh denied, claiming the mines were remnants from its civil war decades ago.
The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs further alleged that Cambodian forces fired rockets and artillery into civilian areas, including a hospital and a gas station in Sisaket province, killing 11 civilians, including a child, and wounding 24 others. Cambodia, in turn, accused Thailand of “unprovoked, premeditated” attacks.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet appealed to the UN Security Council for an urgent meeting to address Thailand’s “aggression,” warning that it threatens regional stability.
Cambodia’s military vowed a “decisive” response, with reports of BM-21 rocket launchers being deployed in Preah Vihear province.
The clashes, which spread to six border areas, including Ta Krabey Temple and the Mom Bei region, have displaced over 40,000 people, primarily in Thailand’s Surin, Sisaket, and Buriram provinces, where 582 schools were closed, and field hospitals were established.
Thailand’s national parks director opened four wildlife sanctuaries and two national parks as military bases, while Cambodia reported damage to civilian infrastructure but has not disclosed casualty figures.
The conflict has drawn international concern. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, chair of ASEAN, called for de-escalation and offered to mediate, while China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged dialogue, signaling Beijing’s willingness to play a “constructive role.”
The dispute’s roots lie in historical disagreements over the 817km border, exacerbated by nationalist sentiments and recent incidents, including a leaked phone call between Thailand’s suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen, which stirred controversy.
As fighting continues, with reports of ongoing shelling and rocket fire, both nations face mounting pressure to halt hostilities.
Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai insisted there is no declaration of war but stressed that fighting must cease before negotiations can begin.
The international community, including ASEAN and the UN, is closely monitoring the situation as fears grow of a broader regional conflict.
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