Thailand and Cambodia have entered their most serious border conflict in over a decade, exchanging heavy artillery fire that has killed at least 16 people and displaced tens of thousands, as diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis remain stalled.
Army vehicles drive along a road in Buriram province, after Thailand scrambled an F-16 fighter jet to bomb targets in Cambodia following artillery volleys from both sides that killed civilians, Thailand, July 25, 2025. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
Clashes broke out early Thursday along a disputed zone near an ancient temple and quickly spread to other contested areas. By Friday, artillery exchanges had intensified, with both countries accusing each other of firing the first shots.
Casualties Mount as Dispute Escalates
The violence, which has left at least 15 civilians dead—most of them on the Thai side—and forced over 130,000 people to evacuate from Thailand’s border areas, is rooted in a long-standing territorial dispute dating back more than a century. On the Cambodian side, local authorities reported that around 12,000 families had also been moved away from the frontlines.
People, evacuating from Pong Tuek village, in Banthey Empel district, around 20 km (12 miles) from the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple, rest at a temporary shelter, after Thailand scrambled an F-16 fighter jet to bomb targets in Cambodia following artillery volleys from both sides that killed civilians, in Oddar Meachey province, Cambodia, July 25, 2025. REUTERS/Soveit Yarn
Cambodia has deployed truck-mounted rocket launchers, which Thailand alleges have been used to strike civilian areas. In response, the Thai military launched airstrikes using U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets against what it described as Cambodian military targets.
Thailand recalled its ambassador from Phnom Penh and expelled Cambodia’s envoy on Wednesday, following a landmine explosion that left a Thai soldier severely injured. Bangkok claims the device was newly planted by Cambodian forces, a charge Phnom Penh has dismissed as baseless.
People rest at a shelter, following recent clashes along the disputed border between the two countries, according to authorities people have been killed across three border provinces, in Surin province, Thailand, July 24, 2025. REUTERS/Pansira Kaewplung TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
The Roots of the Conflict
Thailand and Cambodia share an 817-kilometer land border, parts of which remain undemarcated. The current dispute stems from a colonial-era map drawn by France in 1907, which placed key territories under Cambodian jurisdiction. Thailand has contested that boundary for decades.
Despite agreeing in 2000 to establish a Joint Boundary Commission to resolve disputes peacefully, progress has been slow. Contentious claims over historical sites, such as the Preah Vihear temple, have fueled nationalist sentiment and provoked violence before. Though the International Court of Justice (ICJ) awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962 and reaffirmed the ruling in 2013, tensions remain over surrounding land.
A Thai military mobile unit fires towards Cambodia’s side after Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery on Friday as their worst fighting in more than a decade stretched for a second day, in Surin, Thailand, July 25, 2025. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
Political Backlash and Leaked Diplomacy
While the two governments previously enjoyed close ties—bolstered by a personal rapport between former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen—nationalist pressure has undermined diplomacy.
Public anger in Thailand intensified earlier this year when conservatives accused the government of risking territorial integrity by exploring joint energy ventures with Cambodia in contested maritime zones. Tensions also spiked in February when Cambodian citizens, accompanied by troops, sang their national anthem at the Ta Moan Thom temple, a site claimed by both nations.
Fire and smoke rise after, what the Thai army says, was the Royal Thai Army’s drone operation causing damages on Cambodian military’s arms depot, in an area given as Phu Ma Kuea Hill near Preah Vihear Province, Cambodia, in this screengrab from a handout video released on July 25, 2025. Thai Army/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. MANDATORY CREDIT VERIFICATION – Reuters was not able to independently verify the location and date of footage. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Efforts by Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to cool tensions backfired after a leaked phone call with Hun Sen appeared to show her criticizing a Thai army commander and deferring to the Cambodian leader. The leak caused a political uproar in Thailand and led to her suspension by court order on July 1, following a formal complaint by a group of senators.
Diplomatic Solutions Elusive
After a deadly exchange in May, both sides had pledged to reduce tensions and continue talks through their joint border commission. Yet little progress has been made.
Cambodia has now called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, accusing Thailand of “unprovoked and premeditated military aggression.” It also said it would refer disputes in four border regions to the ICJ, claiming existing mechanisms had failed.
Thailand, however, has rejected ICJ arbitration and insists that negotiations must occur bilaterally—but only once Cambodia halts its military operations.
As of Friday, heavy fighting continued, with little sign of de-escalation. Both governments remain entrenched in their positions, raising fears that further violence along the border could spiral out of control
