The border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia escalated on Thursday (July 24), with both sides accusing each other of firing first. Thailand claimed that Cambodian artillery strikes killed 14 people in Thailand, including 13 civilians, with an additional 24 civilians injured. Cambodia protested that Thailand dispatched six U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to carry out airstrikes on Cambodian territory in an attempt to seize Cambodian land.
Tensions between the two escalated in May when their militaries engaged in a brief clash in a disputed border area, resulting in the death of one Cambodian soldier. Leaders from both countries expressed a desire to ease tensions, yet they continued to reinforce their border troops. The immediate trigger for the current conflict was a Thai soldier stepping on a landmine during a border patrol on Wednesday, losing a leg, prompting Thailand to announce a downgrade in diplomatic relations with Cambodia.
Thorny! Mutual accusations of firing first
The clash erupted in the early hours of Thursday local time near the disputed Prasat Ta Moan Thom (an ancient Khmer temple) on the eastern border, located about 360 kilometers from Thailand's capital, Bangkok. The Thai military claimed that Cambodian forces opened fire near the temple, attacking a residential area and a gas station in Thailand's border zone. In response, the Thai Air Force deployed F-16 jets for retaliatory airstrikes on Cambodian targets, including the command centers of Cambodia's 8th and 9th Support Infantry Divisions, which Thailand accused of being key units responsible for shelling Thai civilian areas.
The Thai military stated that Cambodian armed personnel were spotted entering a forward position near barbed wire barriers, and after failed attempts to deter them, Cambodian forces fired from nearby military bases, launching BM-21 rocket artillery. Social media footage showed a gas station under attack, with thick smoke billowing from a nearby convenience store and multiple civilians injured while shopping inside.
Cambodia condemns Thailand's "military aggression"
Cambodian authorities denied Thailand's claims, insisting that it was Thai forces that sent F-16 jets to drop two bombs near a road close to the Preah Vihear Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Cambodia's Defense Ministry condemned Thailand's "brutal, barbaric, and violent military aggression," accusing Thailand of violating international law. As for the images released by Thailand purportedly showing F-16s bombing Cambodian command posts, Cambodia dismissed them as false.
Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai stated on Thursday that both countries must first halt hostilities before negotiations can begin. He emphasized that neither side had declared war and that the conflict had not spread to additional areas. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting, accusing Thailand of launching "unprovoked, premeditated, and deliberate attacks" on Cambodian border positions, leaving Cambodia no choice but to respond with force.
Hun Manet announced that Cambodia would reinstate its long-dormant mandatory military conscription policy, drafting citizens aged 18 to 30 starting next year for a two-year service term to address escalating tensions with Thailand. On Thursday, he also urged Cambodians to avoid discrimination against Thai citizens living in Cambodia and Thai businesses operating there, while calling on Cambodian nationals in Thailand to return home as soon as possible.
Before the escalation, both countries had announced the recall of their respective ambassadors and a downgrade in diplomatic relations. On Wednesday, Wechayachai announced a reduction in diplomatic ties, recalling Thailand's ambassador to Cambodia and expelling Cambodia's ambassador to Thailand. The Cambodian government responded with reciprocal measures on Thursday.
Newly planted landmines?
Wechayachai said on Wednesday that authorities had learned from military reports that a Thai soldier stepped on a landmine during a border patrol, resulting in the loss of his right leg. He said the government had adopted the military's recommendation to close all border checkpoints under the jurisdiction of Thailand's Second Army Region, barring tourist entry, and downgrading diplomatic relations with Cambodia, with further adjustments to be assessed based on developments. Late Wednesday, Thailand shut down convenient border crossings in its northeastern provinces and urged Thai citizens in Cambodia to leave unless they had urgent reasons to stay.
Wechayachai also said he had ordered the Thai Foreign Ministry to submit a protest letter to Cambodia, noting that no such landmines had been encountered during previous patrols in the area. Thailand believes the incident involved newly planted mines by Cambodia and has taken the most appropriate countermeasures.
In response to Thailand's actions, the Cambodian government announced reciprocal measures on Thursday. Cambodia dismissed Thailand's landmine allegations as "baseless and fabricated," accusing Thailand of shifting blame for its own improper diplomatic actions. As a countermeasure, Cambodia downgraded diplomatic relations with Thailand to the lowest level—chargé d'affaires—and recalled all non-essential diplomats and staff from its embassy in Thailand, while demanding Thai diplomats leave within a set timeframe.
Historical disputes
Thailand and Cambodia have long clashed over border sovereignty, with multiple conflicts resulting in at least dozens of deaths. According tothe Associated Press, the most intense disputes have centered around the Preah Vihear Temple, a millennium-old site.
The report noted that the current land border was demarcated during France's colonization of Cambodia (1863–1953) through negotiations with Siam (now Thailand), based on natural watershed divisions. Due to mapping discrepancies, Thailand has repeatedly contested this version, refusing to recognize Cambodian sovereignty over Preah Vihear.
In 1959, Cambodia brought the temple's ownership dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ruled in 1962 that the temple belonged to Cambodia. Thailand accepted the verdict but maintained that the surrounding border remained disputed.
In 2008, Cambodia's bid to list Preah Vihear as a UNESCO World Heritage Site reignited tensions. After its inscription, clashes erupted along the contested border, peaking in 2011 with over 20 deaths and 36,000 displaced civilians. Cambodia returned to the ICJ in 2011, and in 2013, the court reaffirmed its 1962 ruling.
Both countries also attempted to resolve disputes through the Joint Boundary Commission, established by Thailand in 2000. The latest meeting was held last month in Phnom Penh, but it yielded no substantive progress.
(Source: Wen Wei Po; English Editor: Darius)
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