By Eric Vandenbroeck and co-workers

Thai-Cambodian War Redux

Thailand launched a deadly airstrike on Cambodia on Monday, upending a tenuous U.S.-brokered cease-fire deal signed less than two months ago. With both countries accusing each other of instigating the latest round of fighting, regional leaders warn that the decades-long border dispute between the two countries could trigger widespread instability, particularly as fighting displaces tens of thousands of civilians on both sides.

People flee from their homes following fighting between Thailand and Cambodia.

The Thai-Cambodia conflict dates back to a 1907 map drawn up when Cambodia was under French colonial rule.

According to the map (and a 1962 International Court of Justice ruling), Cambodia has sovereignty over an area of land along the two countries’ border that includes the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear temple. Thailand, however, disputes this claim, arguing that the map is inaccurate.

Members of the Thai Red Cross Society treat patients at an evacuation center.

Thailand’s military conflict with Cambodia is inflaming nationalist tensions again today, with its current (2025) Prime Minister sacked at home and threatening embattled leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who had already been suspended as prime minister for her handling of the border dispute. Tweets supporting the Thai army and air force were trending on social media platforms X and Facebook in Thailand.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended as Thailand's prime minister following a leaked phone call between her and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen.

On Sunday, the cease-fire was further strained when the Thai army accused Cambodia of killing at least one of its soldiers in cross-border fire, prompting retaliatory attacks. Since then, four Cambodian civilians have been killed and nine others injured. “If you want the fight to stop, go tell the aggressor,” Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Monday, adding that “Thailand has never initiated a fight or an invasion, but will never tolerate a violation of its sovereignty.”

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet denied breaking the truce, saying that the Thai side fired first and that Cambodian troops did not retaliate. “Cambodia remains strictly committed to respecting and implementing the ceasefire agreement,” the Cambodian Defense Ministry added on X on Monday.

The fighting has renewed concerns of spillover instability in Southeast Asia. “Our region cannot afford to see long-standing disputes slip into cycles of confrontation,” Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim wrote on X. Already, the U.S. embassies in Thailand and Cambodia have urged Americans to avoid traveling within roughly 30 miles of the Thai-Cambodia border.

But whereas Cambodia says that it remains committed to the U.S.-negotiated deal, Thailand appears less optimistic that the agreement can address current concerns. Military action will continue “until we feel that sovereignty and territorial integrity are not challenged,” Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said on Monday, adding that “we’re not really convinced that the joint declaration is working according to its intention.”

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul formally dissolved Parliament on Friday in an effort to head off a threatened no-confidence vote by the opposition People’s Power Party (PPP), which held a majority of seats. Triggering snap elections just three months into Anutin’s term raises the specter of more political turmoil in a country that is already prone to rapid premiership turnover and currently engaged in deadly clashes with neighboring Cambodia.

Anutin announced his intention to dissolve the House of Representatives late Thursday, writing that he was “returning power to the people.” King Vajiralongkorn approved the request just hours later. However, critics have argued that the maneuver was merely a way for Anutin to avoid impeachment after the PPP accused him of reneging on a promise to dissolve parliament within four months and organize a constitutional referendum in exchange for the party’s support in September’s election.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is mobbed by the press at the government house in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025.

Anutin, though, maintains that he honored the pact, saying: “You voted for me to be the prime minister and are now saying you do not support me anymore and ask me to dissolve parliament. I just did what you asked.”

Bangkok must now hold a snap election within 45 to 60 days. In the meantime, Anutin will oversee a caretaker government with limited power that lacks the authority to approve a new budget.

That hasn’t stopped the Thai leader from continuing to fight Cambodia, though. On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he had spoken to Anutin and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, during which they agreed to end border hostilities and return to a U.S.-brokered cease-fire deal. But such promises contradicted a statement that Anutin made just hours earlier, shortly after their conversation.

The Thai Prime Minister announced that, “I explained to President Trump that we are not the aggressor against Cambodia, but we are retaliating,” Anutin told reporters. Trump “wants a cease-fire. I told him to tell our friends,” Anutin added, referring to Cambodia. Both countries have accused each other of being the aggressors in the conflict. Since fighting broke out on Monday, 8 December, clashes have killed at least 20 people, injured more than 260 others, and displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians on both sides.

Thai opposition leaders have long condemned the ruling party’s handling of ties with Cambodia. Anutin’s predecessor, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was removed from office in August and ultimately resigned as party leader after being found guilty of ethics violations for taking a deferential tone during negotiations with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen to address a bout of fighting over the summer.

‘Bullets were flying over my roof’: Mothers in Cambodia flee to shelters to protect their children

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul vowed on Dec 13 to continue his country’s military action against Cambodia, despite earlier   claims by US President Donald Trump that he had brokered a ceasefire between the two nations.

“Thailand will continue to perform military actions until we feel no more harm and threats to our land and people,” Anutin said in a Facebook post. Bangkok’s joint press centre confirmed that Thai forces had “retaliated” against Cambodian military targets at 5.50am local time.

A Thai navy spokesman said the air force “successfully destroyed” two Cambodian bridges used to transport weapons to the conflict zone. Cambodian Information Minister Neth Pheaktra said Thai forces had “expanded their attacks to include civilian infrastructure and Cambodian civilians”.

Royal Thai Air Force spokesman Chakkrit Thammavichai said the army was “using high-precision weapons to prevent damage to innocent civilians”. Earlier in the day, Cambodia had said that Thailand continued dropping bombs on its territory hours after Trump said the neighbors had agreed to stop fighting.

The latest clashes between the Southeast Asian neighbors, which stem from a long-running dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of their 800km frontier, have displaced around half a million people on both sides.

Each side had blamed the other for reigniting the conflict. “OOn Dec 13, 2025, the Thai military used two F-16 fighter jets to drop seven bombs” on several targets, the Cambodian defence ministry said in an X post. “Thai military aircraft have not stopped bombing yet,” it said.

It came after Trump said on Dec 12 that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to halt fighting along their disputed border, which has killed at least 20 people this week.

Fighting raged again on Dec 12, reported Reuters, with Cambodia accusing Thailand of shelling and firing machine guns on multiple sites, including near ancient temples, and sending armoured vehicles into what it called its territory.

Thai opposition leaders have long condemned the ruling party’s handling of ties with Cambodia. Anutin’s predecessor, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was removed from office in August and ultimately resigned as party leader after being found guilty of ethics violations for taking a deferential tone during negotiations with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen to address a bout of fighting over the summer.

 

 

For updates click hompage here