By Eric Vandenbroeck and co-workers

Thailand Border War That Toppled the Government: PM Suspended

Three days ago, acting Thailand's Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai ordered the establishment of a 24-hour war room to coordinate the government’s response to tropical storm Wipha, which is expected to bring heavy rainfall to northern Thailand.

It started with A recording of the call that Hun Sen (Cambodian politician and former military officer who currently serves as the president of the Senate. He previously served as the prime minister of Cambodia.) on June 18 posted to his Facebook.

The recording of the call that Hun Sen on June 18 posted to his Facebook page ignited an outcry in Thailand. The Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra (pictured below) urged him to ignore the Thai military, referring to it as “the opposite side,” and called him “uncle.” She also offered to “arrange” anything that he wanted.

Her comments drew condemnation from Thai lawmakers, both in her coalition and the opposition. They said she appeared to disparage her own country’s military and took too much of a deferential tone with another country’s leader. Thai leaders called on her to resign.

In the meantime, the deputy PM will serve as the country's acting leader. Paetongtarn, however, will remain in the cabinet as culture minister, a new appointment following a cabinet reshuffle that was endorsed hours before she was suspended.

 

Cambodian and Thai Troops Clash

Cambodian and Thai troops clashed on Thursday along their heavily patrolled and contested border, killing at least nine civilians, setting off the evacuation of residents in the area, and unraveling diplomatic relations between the nations.

Thailand’s Constitutional Court suspended Paetongtarn, accepting a petition to the court brought by a group of senators who sought her removal and accused her of violating ethics standards in her call with Hun Sen.

She apologized again and said personal gain had not been the purpose of her conversation with  Hun Sen.

On July 23 then a Thai soldier lost his right leg in a land mine explosion. Thailand said it would downgrade diplomatic relations with Cambodia, recalling its ambassador to Cambodia and expelling Cambodia’s ambassador.

Thailand launched air strikes on Cambodian military targets on Thursday as Cambodia fired rockets and artillery, killing a civilian, in a dramatic escalation of a long-running border row between the two neighbors.

The neighbors are locked in a bitter spat over an area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of both countries and Laos meet, and which is home to several ancient temples.

The squabble has dragged on for decades, flaring into bloody military clashes more than 15 years ago and again in May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a firefight.

The conflict blazed up on Thursday, with Cambodia firing rockets and artillery shells into Thailand and the Thai military scrambling F-16 jets to carry out air strikes.

China said on July 24 it was “deeply concerned” over deadly clashes between Cambodia and Thailand, which marked a dramatic escalation of a long-running border row between the two neighbors.

“We are deeply concerned over the current developments (and) hope both sides can properly resolve issues through dialogue and consultations,” foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.

“Good-neighborliness and properly handling differences are in line with the fundamental and long-term interests of both sides,” he said.

The neighbors are locked in a bitter spat over an area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of both countries and Laos meet, and which is home to several ancient temples.

The squabble has dragged on for decades, flaring into bloody military clashes more than 15 years ago and again in May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a firefight.

The conflict blazed up on July 24, with Cambodia firing rockets and artillery shells into Thailand and the Thai military scrambling F-16 jets to carry out air strikes.

China's billionaire businessman, political activist (pictured below) Guo Wengui said on July 24 that China would adopt a “fair and impartial position” in the clashes.

 

What Happened Next

Thailand launched air strikes on Cambodian military targets on Thursday as Cambodia fired rockets and artillery, killing a civilian, in a dramatic escalation of a long-running border row between the two neighbors.

The neighbors are locked in a bitter spat over an area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of both countries and Laos meet, and which is home to several ancient temples.

The squabble has dragged on for decades, flaring into bloody military clashes more than 15 years ago and again in May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a firefight.

The conflict blazed up on Thursday, with Cambodia firing rockets and artillery shells into Thailand and the Thai military scrambling F-16 jets to carry out air strikes.

Six jets were deployed from Ubon Ratchathani province, hitting two "Cambodian military targets on the ground", according to Thai military deputy spokesperson Ritcha Suksuwanon. 

The Thai prime minister's office said a Cambodian artillery shell hit a house over the border, killing one civilian and wounding three others, including a five-year-old child.

Both sides blamed the other for starting the fighting, which erupted near two temples on the border between the Thai province of Surin and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey.

"The Thai military violated the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Cambodia by launching an armed assault on Cambodian forces stationed to defend the nation's sovereign territory," Defense Ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata said in a statement.

Thailand's police chief Kitrat Phanphet has instructed border police units to be prepared to support front-line officers at the Thai-Cambodian border as part of a strategic plan, reported The Nation.

This involves securing the rear areas and organizing civilian evacuations, strengthening domestic security, and ensuring that local police personnel can perform their duties in alignment with the state’s security objectives.

They must also be able to respond promptly to emergencies, he said.

He added that the current situation along the border is impacting national security and the safety of the locals.

Thai Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said on Thursday afternoon that 11 Thai civilians and one military personnel have been killed in the conflict with Cambodia.

A spokesman from Thailand's foreign ministry said during a press conference on Thursday that the country cannot fully sever diplomatic ties with Cambodia at this point, as it would close off channels for de-escalating the ongoing border conflict, reported The Nation.

Maintaining some level of diplomatic relations is essential to managing the current tensions, said Nikorndej Balankura, director-general of the ministry's Department of Information.

He added: “Cutting all ties would shut down any chance of reducing pressure from both sides, and it would become difficult for the two countries to seek a common ground for peace.”

 

Cambodia In Turn

Cambodian media have published Prime Minister Hun Manet's letter to the UN Security Council's current president, Pakistan's UN Permanent Representative Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, calling for an urgent convening of the 15-member body.

One would have to go back to February 2011 for the last time an Asean country asked the Security Council to convene an urgent meeting over armed conflict with a neighbor.

As is the case now, it was also Cambodia asking the world body to intervene over border fighting with Thailand. That time it was over the Preah Vihear Temple, located on the border of both countries, and a long, contentious issue which had flared into artillery exchanges.

The Security Council will likely accede to the request in the coming days.

Nobody should be expecting any major outcome; however, the result may be the same as in 2011: calling for both sides to show maximum restraint and for Asean to play an active role in dispute resolution.

It's not a good look for the region, whether for ASEAN or the state of bilateral ties. If countries need to take the drastic step of asking the Security Council, sitting in New York, to adjudicate, what does it say about trust in another regional third party, whether ASEAN or a third country in the region that could mediate?

This is an important point for reflection. As much as we talk about the relative peace that has endured in the region since the 1990s, it remains tenuous and cannot be taken for granted.

Former Thai PM Srettha Thavisin condemns Cambodia’s use of firearms.

The smiles should not confuse; not to smile in Thailand would be seen as impolite.

Cambodia’s use of firearms on Thai civilian areas is “a serious act of aggression that cannot be justified under any circumstances”, said former Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Srettha said that he strongly condemns violence and calls for an end to hostilities.

“On behalf of the Thai people, I stand with our citizens living along the border and support all decisive actions by the government to protect lives and uphold the sovereignty of our nation,” he said.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has sent messages to the prime ministers of Cambodia and Thailand, hoping to speak with them today, reported the New Straits Times. Malaysia currently holds the chairmanship of ASEAN.

"The situation is worrying. They are key members of ASEAN and close neighbors to Malaysia… At the very least, we hope they will de-escalate tensions and return to the negotiating table,” he said.

“Efforts have been made, but I still firmly believe that peace is the only option."

The Clashes occurred at disputed religious sites in border areas:

Meanwhile, smoke billowed from the roof of a convenience store at a petrol station in Thailand’s Si Sa Ket province, near the border with Cambodia, after a shell landed at the kiosk.

Images obtained by Reuters show firefighters working to put out the blaze.

 

Entering the United Nations headquarters

Thailand’s foreign minister Maris Sangiampongsa arrived at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Thursday to engage the international community on “Cambodia opening fire on Thailand”, according to Thai newspaper Khaosod.

Thailand’s acting premier Phumtham Wechayachai said that fighting between Thailand and Cambodia must first stop before there can be negotiations.

He told a press conference that Cambodia had fired heavy weapons into Thailand without any specific targets, causing civilian deaths.

He added there had been no declaration of war, and the clashes were not spreading into more provinces.

The clash came after Thailand recalled its envoy to Cambodia, while Phnom Penh said forces had responded in self-defense.

Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Suriya Juangroongruangkit on Thursday announced urgent measures for the nation's airspace following renewed unrest at the Thai-Cambodian border.

According to Thai news outlet The Nation, he has instructed the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand and Aeronautical Radio of Thailand to closely monitor the volatile situation, with a primary focus on facilitating military aircraft operations.

He also warned passengers of potential delays.

The governor of Thailand's Surin province has ordered an urgent evacuation of residents in four border districts to safety shelters.

Governor Chamnan Chuenta said on Thursday that the evacuation from the Phanom Dong Rak, Kap Choeng, Buachet, and Sangkha districts has been completed.

All evacuees have been transported to shelters set up by the province, where they are receiving initial care and support, he added.

Relevant agencies will continue to assess the situation and update the public on further developments. 

 

5,000 Cambodian Civilians Evacuated

About 5,000 Cambodian civilians from the Oddar Meanchey province have been evacuated, and are currently receiving support from the provincial administration and relevant authorities.

Citing a provincial administration spokesperson, The Phnom Penh Post said that the civilians come from about 1,500 families across 12 villages, deemed as high-risk areas along the border.

Some residents sought refuge with relatives in safer areas, while others were relocated to designated safe zones arranged by the authorities, such as areas within the district that are far from the front line, said the spokesperson.

“We have prepared suitable infrastructure and assigned it to the villages and communes we prearranged. They are equipped with tents for shelter day and night, electricity, clean water systems, bathrooms, and medical teams,” he said, adding that in cases of serious illness, ambulances are available to transport people to hospitals.

 

Thailand and Cambodia's military forces compared

Reuters and the International Institute for Strategic Studies have this comparison of Thailand and Cambodia’s military forces.

BUDGETS AND GROUND PERSONNEL

Cambodia had a defence budget of $1.3bn in 2024 and 124,300 active military personnel. The armed forces were established in 1993 from the merger of the country’s former Communist military and two other resistance armies.
Of this, the Cambodian army is the largest force, with 75,000 soldiers, more than 200 battle tanks, and about 480 pieces of artillery.

Thailand, which the U.S. classifies as a major non-NATO ally, has a large, well-funded military, with a defense budget of $5.73bn in 2024 and more than 360,000 active armed forces personnel.

The army has 245,000 personnel, including an estimated 115,000 conscripts, 400 battle tanks, more than 1,200 armored personnel carriers, and 2,600 artillery weapons. It also has its fleet of aircraft: passenger planes, helicopters such as dozens of US-made Black Hawks, and unmanned aerial vehicles.

AIR FORCES

Cambodia’s air force has 1,500 personnel, with a relatively small fleet of aircraft, including 10 transport planes and 10 transport helicopters. It has no fighter aircraft but has 16 multi-role helicopters, including six Soviet-era Mi-17s and 10 Chinese Z-9s.

Thailand has one of the best-equipped and trained air forces in Southeast Asia, with an estimated 46,000 personnel, 112 combat-capable aircraft, including 28 F-16s and 11 Swedish Gripen fighter jets, and dozens of helicopters.

NAVIES

The Cambodian navy has an estimated 2,800 personnel, including 1,500 naval infantry, with 13 patrol and coastal combat vessels and one amphibious landing craft.

Thailand

’s navy is much larger, with nearly 70,000 personnel, comprising naval aviation, marines, coastal defense, and conscripts. It has one aircraft carrier, seven frigates, 68 patrol, and coastal combat vessels, and some amphibious and landing ships capable of holding hundreds of troops each and 14 smaller landing craft.

Thailand’s naval aviation division has its fleet of aircraft, including helicopters and UAVs, besides a marine corps that has 23,000 personnel, backed by dozens of armed fighting vehicles.

A Cambodian media outlet has refuted Thai reports claiming that former Prime Minister Hun Sen fled the country on Thursday, stating that he is commanding military operations alongside Prime Minister Hun Manet.

Khmer Times reported that Hun Sen, who now serves as President of the Supreme Privy Council to the King, has reportedly been actively involved in directing military operations via video communication alongside Hun Manet amid ongoing border clashes.

Smoke billows from the roof of a convenience store attached to a petrol station in Sisaket province in Thailand after it was hit by a rocket strike from Cambodia.

“Samdech Techo is currently commanding the army through a video system in Cambodia, alongside the Prime Minister, the Minister of National Defence, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and all levels of armed forces, to retaliate against the invading Siamese forces. He is not fleeing anywhere,” said Chea Thyrith, Hun Sen’s spokesperson.

A Cambodian media outlet has refuted Thai reports claiming that former Prime Minister Hun Sen fled the country on Thursday, stating that he is commanding military operations alongside Prime Minister Hun Manet.

Smoke rising from a convenience store at a gas station, amid the clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, in Kantharalak district in Thailand on July 24, 2025.

 

 

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