BANGKOK, Thailand – July 25, 2025 – Deadly clashes between Thai and Cambodian forces along their disputed 508-mile border have killed at least 16 people, mostly civilians, and displaced tens of thousands, marking the worst violence between the Southeast Asian neighbors in over a decade. The conflict, centered around ancient Khmer temples and the contested Emerald Triangle region, erupted Thursday morning, July 24, following months of escalating tensions sparked by a May 28 skirmish that killed a Cambodian soldier. Both nations accuse each other of initiating the latest fighting, with Thailand deploying F-16 airstrikes and Cambodia requesting an urgent UN Security Council meeting.The violence began near the 12th-century Prasat Ta Muen Thom temple in Thailand’s Surin province, close to Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province. Thai authorities claim Cambodian forces fired rockets and artillery into civilian areas, killing 14 civilians, including an eight-year-old boy, and one soldier, with 32 civilians and 14 soldiers injured across three provinces: Surin, Si Sa Ket, and Ubon Ratchathani. Cambodia reported one civilian death and four injuries in Oddar Meanchey, alleging Thai forces violated a prior agreement by advancing on the temple and deploying drones. Cambodia’s defense ministry condemned Thailand’s “reckless and brutal military aggression,” while Thailand’s military accused Cambodia of laying landmines, with two incidents this week injuring six Thai soldiers, one losing a leg.
The conflict traces back to a 1907 French colonial map, which Cambodia uses to claim territories like the Preah Vihear temple, awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 1962. Thailand disputes the map’s accuracy and rejects ICJ jurisdiction, preferring bilateral talks through a 2000 Joint Boundary Commission. Tensions flared in 2008 when Cambodia’s UNESCO World Heritage listing of Preah Vihear sparked clashes, and again in 2011, when fighting killed at least 34 and displaced 36,000. The current escalation follows a May 28 clash in the Emerald Triangle, where Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos meet, and recent incidents, including Cambodian troops singing patriotic songs at Ta Muen Thom in February and Thai soldiers encountering landmines.
Political turmoil in Thailand has exacerbated the crisis. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended on July 1 by the Constitutional Court over a leaked June 15 phone call with Cambodia’s Senate President Hun Sen, a close ally of her father, former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra. In the call, Paetongtarn called Hun Sen “uncle,” disparaged a Thai army commander, and offered to accommodate his requests, prompting accusations of undermining national interests. The leak, shared by Hun Sen with at least 80 people, led to protests in Bangkok and Paetongtarn’s suspension pending an ethics probe. Acting PM Phumtham Wechayachai called the situation “delicate,” insisting on a ceasefire before negotiations, while warning the conflict could “move towards war.”
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet, Hun Sen’s son, has called for UN intervention, accusing Thailand of “unprovoked, premeditated attacks.” Cambodia has downgraded diplomatic ties, recalling all embassy staff from Bangkok and banning Thai media, fruit imports, and internet links. Thailand has closed all northeastern border checkpoints, evacuated 40,000 civilians, and urged its citizens in Cambodia to leave. Nationalist sentiment is surging, with thousands rallying in Phnom Penh to support Cambodia’s stance, and Cambodia announcing mandatory conscription starting next year.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), chaired by Malaysia, has called for restraint, as have the U.S., China, and Australia. China, a major trading partner for both nations, expressed “deep concern” and offered to facilitate talks, though its closer ties with Cambodia raise concerns in Bangkok. Analysts warn of prolonged fighting, with nationalism fueling both sides. “Neither side wants to be seen as conceding,” said Phil Robertson of Asia Human Rights and Labour Advocates, predicting further escalation. The conflict threatens regional stability and economic ties, especially with looming U.S. tariffs of 36% on both nations from August 1.
As fighting continued into Friday, with artillery fire reported near Ta Muen Thom, the international community watches closely, hoping for de-escalation to prevent a broader conflict in a region reliant on ASEAN’s cooperative framework.
