BANGKOK — In a brutal escalation of long-simmering border tensions, Thailand and Cambodia have plunged into their worst military confrontation in more than a decade, with at least 15 people killed and over 130,000 civilians forced to flee villages along the volatile frontier.
The fighting, centered near the disputed Preah Vihear and Ta Muen Thom temple zones, erupted after a Thai military patrol triggered a landmine on July 23, critically injuring one soldier. Within hours, the skirmish mutated into a full-scale artillery exchange that engulfed multiple flashpoints along the 800-kilometer border.
By July 25, Thai officials confirmed that 14 civilians and one soldier were killed in cross-border shelling, with another 46 injured. Cambodia has acknowledged at least one civilian fatality and dozens injured. Thousands of residents in Thailand’s Surin and Sisaket provinces were seen scrambling into makeshift camps, while Cambodian families fled their homes under aerial bombardment from Thai F-16 jets and heavy ground shelling.
Martial law was swiftly imposed in eight Thai border districts, with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin describing Cambodia’s rocket attacks as a “flagrant violation of sovereignty.” Cambodia, in return, accused Thai forces of carrying out “unprovoked air raids” and using “disproportionate force against civilian infrastructure.” A Cambodian school, two Buddhist temples, and multiple border outposts were reportedly struck.
The roots of this flare-up trace back to a geopolitical feud steeped in royalist nostalgia and dynastic resentment. A leaked phone call between former Cambodian strongman Hun Sen and Thai opposition figure Paetongtarn Shinawatra — who referred to Hun Sen as “uncle” — triggered an uproar among Thailand’s conservative establishment, culminating in Paetongtarn’s suspension from parliament. Many in Thailand’s ruling bloc accused Cambodia of attempting to interfere in domestic politics under the guise of pan-Indochinese brotherhood.
Behind the battlefield, the diplomatic rupture is now total. Both nations have expelled ambassadors and withdrawn from ceasefire negotiations facilitated by ASEAN and Malaysia. A proposed ceasefire deal, brokered by Kuala Lumpur and initially welcomed by Cambodia, collapsed after Thailand abruptly withdrew its delegation, citing “security concerns.”
The United Nations Security Council has called for an emergency session, while regional powers including China, India, Indonesia, and Myanmar have urged restraint. Yet neither Bangkok nor Phnom Penh appears ready to de-escalate. Thai Defense Minister Anutin Charnvirakul warned that the conflict “could spiral into a wider war” if Cambodian aggression continues.
Humanitarian agencies are now sounding the alarm. Camps along the Thai side are overcrowded, with food, water, and medical supplies already running low. Cambodian border towns are reportedly seeing a collapse in basic services, as hospitals struggle to treat the wounded amid ongoing shelling.
As the region watches anxiously, the border that once served as a symbol of post-colonial reconciliation is rapidly transforming into Southeast Asia’s next flashpoint — driven not only by nationalism but by old rivalries, wounded pride, and the ghosts of imperial cartography.
According to Mehr News Agency, the July 24–25 conflict marks the deadliest escalation between Thailand and Cambodia since 2011, with both sides showing no signs of backing down as military casualties mount and diplomatic ties disintegrate.
