Fighting between Thailand and Cambodia escalated sharply on Tuesday as both countries reported renewed clashes along their long-disputed border, raising fears that a fragile truce brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump in July may be nearing collapse.
The Southeast Asian neighbors traded blame for the latest outbreak of violence, which followed Monday’s clashes across several sections of the frontier. Each side has vowed to defend its sovereignty, with no indication that either is prepared to de-escalate.
People gather inside a temporary shelter amid deadly clashes between Thailand and Cambodia along a disputed border area at Chroy Neang Ngourn Pagoda, in Siem Reap, Cambodia, December 8, 2025. REUTERS/Soviet Yarn TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen said his country had respected the ceasefire for 24 hours to allow evacuations, but launched overnight counterattacks after what he described as Thai incursions. “Cambodia needs peace, but Cambodia is compelled to counterattack to defend our territory,” he wrote, claiming Cambodian forces held strategic advantages in bunkers and weaponry.
Thai military officials reported clashes in five border provinces and said a Navy-led operation in Trat Province aimed at expelling Cambodian soldiers was close to completion. They accused Cambodia of deploying artillery, rocket launchers and bomb-dropping drones against Thai forces.
“Thailand is determined to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity and therefore military measures must be taken as necessary,” Defense Ministry spokesperson Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri said.
People rest at a makeshift shelter after evacuation, amid clashes between Thailand and Cambodia along a disputed border area, in Mongkol Borey, Banteay Meanchey province, Cambodia, December 9, 2025. REUTERS/Thomas Suen
Rising Casualties and Mass Evacuations
The human toll is mounting. Cambodia’s Defense Ministry accused Thailand of “brutal and unlawful actions,” reporting nine civilian deaths and 20 serious injuries since Monday. Thailand said three of its soldiers were killed and 29 people wounded.
Both nations have evacuated large numbers of civilians from the conflict zone, with Thailand relocating hundreds of thousands and Cambodia moving families from Oddar Meanchey province.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet warned Thailand against using military force on civilian areas “under the pretext of reclaiming its sovereignty.”
Ceasefire at Risk After Months of Tension
The latest violence marks the fiercest fighting since July’s five-day exchange of heavy artillery and rockets, which killed at least 48 people and displaced around 300,000 before Trump intervened to secure a ceasefire.
Tensions surged again last month when Thailand suspended de-escalation measures after a Thai soldier was maimed by a landmine Bangkok said Cambodia had newly laid—an allegation Phnom Penh has repeatedly denied.
Fighting also flared earlier in May after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a skirmish, triggering troop buildups, diplomatic strain and a series of armed confrontations.
People rest at a shelter, following fresh military clashes between Thailand and Cambodia along parts of their disputed border, in Buriram province, Thailand, December 8, 2025. REUTERS/Prajoub Sukprom
Long-Running Territorial Dispute
Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty along their 817-km (508-mile) shared border for more than a century, with disagreements rooted in French colonial-era maps and disputes over historical sites, including the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple. Although the International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, surrounding land remains contested.
The area has been a flashpoint for nationalist tensions on both sides, leading to deadly flare-ups in 2008 and 2011 and recurring military standoffs.
Uneven Military Balance
Thailand maintains a significantly larger and better-equipped military, with triple Cambodia’s active personnel and a defense budget four times greater. Thai forces possess fighter jets and thousands of artillery systems, while Cambodia has no combat aircraft and more limited firepower.
