Fighting between Thailand and Cambodia escalated along their disputed border this week, resulting in at least 10 deaths and the displacement of more than 140,000 civilians as of Tuesday, December 9, 2025.
The clashes, which began Sunday, quickly expanded to new areas along the frontier, including regions near UNESCO-listed heritage sites such as the Preah Vihear temple. Thai authorities confirmed launching military operations involving tanks and airstrikes on Monday, accusing Cambodia of escalating tensions.
The violence is rooted in a long-standing border dispute between the two Southeast Asian neighbors, which traces back to colonial-era maps drawn during French rule. Several temples along the boundary remain contested, with both countries asserting territorial claims.
Thailand reported that three of its soldiers were killed since Monday, one by indirect fire in Surin province and another by a grenade near Preah Vihear. Cambodian officials said seven civilians have been killed and about 20 wounded this week. The Cambodian Interior Ministry also reported that more than 21,000 people have been displaced across three border provinces.
In a press conference, Thai navy spokesperson Parat Rattanachaiphan said that Thai troops had observed Cambodian military infrastructure in a disputed coastal region in Trat province. He accused Cambodia of deploying drones to provoke a response and said that Thai forces “launched a military operation to drive them out.”
Cambodia responded Tuesday, stating it retaliated after a day of restraint to allow civilians to evacuate. “Now we fight in order to defend ourselves again,” Cambodia’s former Prime Minister Hun Sen said in a Facebook post.
The conflict is the most severe since a five-day escalation in July that killed dozens and displaced around 300,000 people before a China- and U.S.-backed truce was brokered by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
However, tensions reignited after Thailand suspended a joint ceasefire declaration in November. U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier endorsed the agreement alongside new trade deals with both countries in October.
On the ground, civilians remain deeply affected. Poan Hay, 55, a Cambodian woman from Oddar Meanchey province, fled to Siem Reap’s Srei Snam district for the fourth time this year. “I am so angry at the Thai army, but I ask them to stop firing at Cambodians,” she told AFP.
In Thailand’s Buriram and Surin provinces, emergency shelters have been set up to house over 125,000 evacuees. Sutida Pusa, a 30-year-old shopkeeper in Surin, told AFP that she and her family have moved back and forth between home and shelters. “We never trust the situation,” she said.
Both sides have exchanged accusations of ceasefire violations, and diplomatic efforts to restore peace are ongoing. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the European Union, and Malaysia’s prime minister have issued calls for both sides to show restraint and halt hostilities.
