Thai and Cambodian troops exchange fire at disputed border
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Thailand says F-16 jet deployed against Cambodian forces as border clash escalates
Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817 km (508 miles) land border, which has led to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths. Thailand this week accused Cambodia of placing landmines in a disputed area that injured three soldiers. Phnom Penh denied the claim and said the soldiers had veered off agreed routes and triggered a mine left behind from decades of war. Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia late on Wednesday and said it would expel Cambodia’s envoy in Bangkok, after a second Thai soldier in the space of a week lost a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently in the disputed area. Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon: “We have used air power against military targets as planned”
Item 1 of 3 A woman walks past the Royal Embassy of Cambodia, after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia and said it would expel Cambodia’s ambassador, following a landmine incident that injured Thai soldiers and recent clashes along the disputed border between the two countries, in Bangkok, Thailand, July 24, 2025. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa
Summary Thailand says jet destroys military target
At least 2 civilians killed in Thailand, official says
Clash follows downgrade in diplomatic ties over landmine incidents
Cambodian former PM says provinces hit by Thai shelling
BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH, July 24 (Reuters) – Thailand’s military deployed an F-16 fighter jet against Cambodia’s armed forces on Thursday, the Thai army said, as weeks of tension over a border dispute escalated into clashes that have killed at least two civilians.
Of the six F-16 fighter jets that Thailand has readied to deploy along the disputed border, one of the aircraft fired into Cambodia and destroyed a military target, the Thai army said. Both countries accused each other of starting the clash early on Thursday.
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“We have used air power against military targets as planned,” Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon told reporters.
Cambodia’s defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation on the air strike.
The skirmishes came after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia late on Wednesday and said it would expel Cambodia’s envoy in Bangkok, after a second Thai soldier in the space of a week lost a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently in the disputed area.
For more than a century, Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817 km (508 miles) land border, which has led to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths, including during a weeklong exchange of artillery in 2011.
Tensions were reignited in May following the killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief exchange of gunfire, which escalated into a full-blown diplomatic crisis and now has triggered armed clashes.
The clashes began early on Thursday near the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple along the eastern border between Cambodia and Thailand, around 360 km from the Thai capital Bangkok.
“Artillery shell fell on people’s homes,” Sutthirot Charoenthanasak, district chief of Kabcheing in Thailand’s Surin province, told Reuters, describing the firing by the Cambodian side.
“Two people have died,” he said, adding that district authorities had evacuated 40,000 civilians from 86 villages near the border to safer locations.
Cambodia’s influential former premier Hun Sen in a Facebook post said two Cambodian provinces had come under shelling from the Thai military.
Thailand this week accused Cambodia of placing landmines in a disputed area that injured three soldiers. Phnom Penh denied the claim and said the soldiers had veered off agreed routes and triggered a mine left behind from decades of war.
Cambodia has many landmines left over from its civil war decades ago, numbering in the millions according to de-mining groups.
But Thailand maintains landmines have been placed at the border area recently, which Cambodia has described as baseless allegations.
Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Chayut Setboonsarng; Writing by Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by Martin Petty
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Thailand and Cambodia exchange fire along disputed border as diplomatic crisis deepens
Thailand and Cambodia exchanged fire along their disputed border on Thursday. The firing reportedly left two Thai civilians dead and two soldiers wounded. The clash came just a day after a landmine blast maimed five Thai soldiers. Bangkok blamed the neighbouring country for laying new Russian-made explosives in violation of a key international treaty. Cambodia retaliated by reducing diplomatic ties to their lowest level, withdrawing all staff from its Bangkok embassy and ordering Thai diplomats out of the country. The Southeast Asian neighbours have contested sovereignty over several undemarcated places along the 817km land border for more than a century. The border was initially mapped by France in 1907 when Cambodia was under French colonial rule. The immediate cause of renewed hostilities was an exchange of gunfire in a contested frontier zone on 28 May that resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier.
Thailand and Cambodia exchanged fire along their disputed border on Thursday as a volatile territorial dispute spiralled into a full-blown diplomatic crisis.
The clash came just a day after a landmine blast maimed five Thai soldiers, with Bangkok blaming the neighbouring country for laying new Russian-made explosives in violation of a key international treaty.
The exchange of fire occurred at 8.20am local time near Prasat Ta Muen Thom, an ancient Khmer-Hindu temple close to the heavily patrolled border, the Thai army said, accusing the rival military of using rocket launchers and several other weapons systems.
The firing reportedly left two Thai civilians dead and two soldiers wounded.
Moments before the firing began, a Cambodian drone was seen flying in the area and six heavily armed soldiers approached a Thai military base, the Thai army claimed.
In the wake of the clash, the Second Army said on social media, Thailand deployed an F-16 fighter jet against the Cambodian forces.
The Cambodian defence ministry disputed the Thai army’s claims. It accused the Thai army of firing first and claimed that its soldiers were “responding to an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops that violated our territorial integrity”.
The clash took place after Thailand expelled the Cambodian envoy in Bangkok and recalled its own ambassador late on Wednesday.
Phnom Penh retaliated by reducing diplomatic ties to their lowest level, withdrawing all staff from its Bangkok embassy and ordering Thai diplomats out of the country, escalating a standoff already inflamed by nationalist outrage, trade boycotts and disputed claims over fatal blasts in the contested frontier zone.
Thailand’s acting prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the situation along the border was “delicate”. “We have to be careful,” he told reporters. “We will follow international law.”
Cambodia’s influential former premier Hun Sen, father of incumbent prime minister Hun Manet, claimed two provinces had come under shelling from the Thai military.
He called for calm and urged Cambodians to trust their government and armed forces in the tense times.
The prime minister said Cambodia had “always maintained a position of peaceful resolution of problems but, in this case, we have no choice but to respond with armed force against armed aggression”.
The Southeast Asian neighbours have contested sovereignty over several undemarcated places along the 817km land border for more than a century. The border was initially mapped by France in 1907 when Cambodia was under French colonial rule.
Thailand later contested the map, which was based on an agreement that the border would be demarcated along the natural watershed line between the two countries.
The immediate cause of renewed hostilities was an exchange of gunfire in a contested frontier zone on 28 May that resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier. Both nations claimed they acted in self-defence but tensions quickly escalated.
Several border checkpoints had already been closed or were operating under heavy restrictions after the deadly clash on 28 May.
In the aftermath, Cambodia banned Thai films and television programmes, halted imports of fruits, vegetables and fuel from the neighbouring country, and cut access to some of Thailand’s international internet links and electricity supply.
Politics Border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia escalates
A bitter border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia continues to escalate. According to both countries, there were fierce exchanges of fire in the border region this morning. The Thai army stressed that Cambodian soldiers had opened fire on a military base in the north-eastern province of Surin. The Cambodian newspaper “Phnom Penh Post” spoke of a “blatant act of military aggression that threatens peace and stability in Southeast Asia” Thailand’s embassy in Cambodia recommended that Thai nationals who are staying in Cambodia permanently or temporarily and whose stay is not mandatory should leave the country as soon as possible.
A bitter border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia continues to escalate. According to both countries, there were fierce exchanges of fire in the border region this morning (local time). While the Thai army stressed that Cambodian soldiers had opened fire on a military base in the north-eastern province of Surin, Cambodia accused the neighboring country of having fired first.
Keystone-SDA SDA
The Cambodian newspaper “Phnom Penh Post” spoke of a “blatant act of military aggression that threatens peace and stability in Southeast Asia” and emphasized that it was an “unprovoked attack on Cambodian troops.” The Bangkok Post newspaper, on the other hand, reported that Cambodian soldiers were responsible and had also targeted Thailand with rocket launchers.
Embassy staff withdrawn
Thailand’s army said in a statement on social networks that three civilians had been injured. It was “violent and inhumane acts by the Cambodian side”, which fired BM-21 rockets at a community area.
According to reports, some people in the region fled to safety in bunkers after loud artillery fire was heard. Explosions could be seen on videos circulating on the internet and loud firing noises could be heard. According to the newspaper “Khaosod”, incidents are said to have occurred at six different locations. One of them took place near the ruins of the famous Khmer temple Prasat Ta Muen Thom.
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet wrote on Facebook: “Cambodia has always advocated a peaceful solution to problems, but in this case we have no choice but to respond to armed aggression with armed forces.”
Only shortly before, both countries had declared that they were downgrading their diplomatic relations. Thailand recalled its ambassador from Phnom Penh and expelled the Cambodian ambassador at the same time. Thailand’s embassy in Cambodia recommended that Thai nationals who are staying in Cambodia permanently or temporarily and whose stay is not mandatory should leave the country as soon as possible – “if it is safe to do so”.
Landmines exploded
Since colonial times, a dispute has been simmering over the exact course of the more than 800-kilometer border between the two Southeast Asian countries. The dispute recently escalated after an exchange of fire between soldiers from both countries at the end of May. A Cambodian soldier was killed in the incident. At the end of June, Thailand closed the border crossings in six provinces.
Only on Wednesday, several Thai soldiers were injured by the explosion of landmines in the disputed region. According to the army, one lost a leg. Thailand accuses the neighboring country of having recently laid the mines.
Cambodia opens fire at Thai military base
Cambodian forces fired rockets at a Thai military base in the north of the country on Thursday morning. One soldier was injured in the exchange of fire. The Royal Thai Army said it was closely monitoring the situation and would provide updates as they become available. The incident occurred near the town of Si Sa Ket in the northern part of the kingdom.
Thai soldiers heard a Cambodian drone circling in front of the Ta Muen Thom temple ruins in Phanom Dong Rak district of Surin at 7.35am, the army said.
Six Cambodian soldiers then approached a barbed-wire fence in front of the Thai military base, armed with weapons including rocket-propelled grenades.
Thai soldiers at the base shouted to urge their Cambodian counterparts to avoid escalating the conflict.
At 8.20am Cambodia opened fire toward the Moo Pa military base, the 2nd Army Region said on its Facebook page.
The Cambodian forces set up artillery in nearby communities in a manner that used civilians as human shields, the Thai army alleged. Artillery fire was then directed at the temple ruins at 8.50am, it said.
At about 9.15am, Cambodian troops reportedly initiated gunfire, targeting the area near the Moo Pa base. One Thai soldier was injured as gunfire continued.
At 9.40am, Cambodia fired BM-21 rocket launchers at the Don Tuan temple ruins in Si Sa Ket province, Thailand said.
At 9.55am, Cambodian forces reportedly fired into a residential area near the border area development centre in Kap Choeng district of Surin. Authorities began evacuating civilians from the area.
The 2nd Army Region said it was closely monitoring the situation and that updates will follow as more information becomes available.
Thailand-Cambodia dispute: Shots fired at hotly contested border
Thai troops fired after confronting a group of heavily-armed Cambodian soldiers. The Cambodians said it was the Thais who fired their weapons first. This follows Thailand’s decision to recall its own from Phnom Penh. Neither country seems ready to de-escalate – for now.
Jonathan Head
BBC South East Asia Correspondent
According to the Thai military, their troops fired after confronting a group of heavily-armed Cambodian soldiers right on the disputed border. The Cambodians said it was the Thais who fired their weapons first.
Now, villagers in the area on the Thai side of the border have been ordered to evacuate. This follows Thailand’s decision to expel the Cambodian ambassador and recall its own from Phnom Penh.
For now, neither country seems ready to de-escalate. But this conflict really took off last month, after the wiley old Cambodian strongman Hun Sen deeply embarrassed Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra by leaking a phone conversation between them about the disputed border.
Nobody knows why he chose to do this. In fact, he has burned a close relationship between their two families that goes back decades. Paetongtarn Shinawatra was then suspended as prime minister by the constitutional court in Thailand and her unpopular government cannot afford to show any weakness now in standing up to Cambodia.
The result has been an escalating war of words between the two countries, the collapse of border trade that’s worth billions of dollars, and the heightened risk of more serious clashes between their two armies.