Clashes Along Thai-Cambodian Border Claim a Dozen Lives

At least 10 Thai citizens were killed on Thursday when fighting erupted at several points along the border between Thailand and Cambodia.

One soldier died and nine other casualties were all civilians in rural areas adjacent to the 817km-long border, Thai officials said late in the afternoon.

Casualties were likely also on the Cambodian side, given Thai F-16 fighter jets launched bombs at Cambodian troops in response to deadly attacks in the morning, while artillery shells were fired back in at least two areas.

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The flare-up between the two sides follows weeks of tension related to border demarcation disputes in a handful of locations, some of which have old Khmer ruins.

Thailand and Cambodia have a long record of border clashes, but relations had remained calm since fighting near the historic Preah Vihear temple in 2011, which reportedly left dozens dead.

But analysts say other factors could also have motivated the worst bilateral conflict in years. These include the uncertain political backdrop in Thailand, where Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s government awaits judicial rulings that currently cloud its outlook, and deep economic concerns in Phnom Penh from likely hefty US tariffs and its alleged support for criminal scam centres.

Former Cambodian PM Hun Sen, who retains a significant voice in his son Hun Manet’s government, has been pushing for the International Court of Justice in The Hague to rule on four disputed border areas, such as one with the Ta Muen Thom temple ruins, which was a scene of fighting today, but Thailand does not recognise the court’s jurisdiction on the matter.

Tension soared on Wednesday (July 23) after a second Thai soldier lost a leg to a landmine planted near the frontier. That led to Thailand, and then Cambodia, downgrading diplomatic relations with each other.

Cambodians hold flags at a march in Phnom Penh to back the decision to deploy the army at the disputed Thai-Cambodia border after a fatal clash on May 28, 2025. Ties with Thailand are the worst for a decade (Reuters).

The Thai Army said one of the six F-16 jets that it readied to deploy along the border fired into Cambodia and destroyed a military target, Reuters reported.

Both countries accused each other of starting the clash early on Thursday.

“We have used air power against military targets as planned,” Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon told reporters. Thailand also closed its border with Cambodia.

Cambodia’s defence ministry said the jets dropped two bombs on a road, and that it “strongly condemns the reckless and brutal military aggression of the Kingdom of Thailand against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cambodia”.

Rocket attacks

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.

Thailand’s foreign ministry said Cambodian troops fired “heavy artillery” on a Thai military base on Thursday morning and also targeted civilian areas including a hospital, leading to civilian casualties.

“The Royal Thai Government is prepared to intensify our self-defence measures if Cambodia persists in its armed attack and violations upon Thailand’s sovereignty,” the ministry said in a statement.

Thai residents including children and the elderly ran to shelters built of concrete and fortified with sandbags and car tyres in Surin, a province close to the border.

“How many rounds have been fired? It’s countless,” an unidentified woman told the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) while hiding in the shelter as gunfire and explosions were heard intermittently in the background.

Cambodia’s foreign ministry claimed that Thailand’s air strikes were “unprovoked” and called on its neighbour to withdraw its forces and “refrain from any further provocative actions that could escalate the situation”.

The latest clashes will likely have a negative economic impact on both nations because of disruptions to trade, tourism and labour flows. Analysts say they could suffer significant losses if the conflict intensifies or drags on.