THAILAND has imposed an immediate night-time curfew across four border districts in Sa Kaeo province as security tensions with Cambodia intensify amid some of the fiercest clashes between the neighbours in years, The Nation reported.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Burapha Task Force under the First Army Region announced that residents in Ta Phraya, Khok Sung, Aranyaprathet and Khlong Hat must remain indoors from 7pm to 5am.
The order was made under Article 11(6) of the Military Law Act and signed by Major General Benjapol Dechartwong, the task force commander.
According to the Burapha Task Force, the curfew is necessary to “ensure stability, security and public order” and to aid security personnel in preventing “any threats from outside the country”.
The military did not elaborate on the specific trigger for the rising border tensions, though security monitoring has been tightened following a series of incidents in nearby frontier regions.
The curfew coincided with a dramatic escalation in hostilities between Thailand and Cambodia, with each side accusing the other of deliberately targeting civilians in artillery, rocket and drone attacks.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported on Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump, who mediated a ceasefire between the two nations earlier this year, said he intends to intervene again to halt the renewed fighting.
He told reporters he expects to speak with both countries’ leaders on Thursday. “I think I can get them to stop fighting,” he said. “I think I’m scheduled to speak to them tomorrow.”
The clashes, which began on Monday, spread across more than a dozen points along the 817-km border and have become the most intense since a five-day battle in July—conflict that Trump halted with urgent calls to both governments.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Tuesday said military operations would continue, although he declined on Wednesday to explain the army’s long-term objective.
Asked about Trump’s intervention, he replied: “Other national leaders may have good intentions in wanting peace. It cannot be as simple as picking up the phone and calling. There must be proper appointment and agreed talking points. We still have time to prepare these issues if such discussions are to take place.”
Cambodia maintains it has acted only in self-defence. Government spokesperson Pen Bona said Phnom Penh’s position was to pursue peace, and a senior adviser to the Cambodian prime minister signalled readiness for negotiation.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who previously assisted Trump in brokering the ceasefire, said he had spoken with both leaders on Tuesday.
Although no agreement was reached, he welcomed “the openness and willingness of both leaders to continue negotiations in order to ease tensions”.
Thailand’s army reported fighting along 16 fronts on Wednesday, including near both ends of the border.
The military said Cambodian forces launched BM-21 rockets, with some landing near a hospital in Surin province, prompting the evacuation of patients and staff. It also accused Cambodia of using drones to drop bombs and deploying tanks near the contested 11th-century Preah Vihear temple, long a flashpoint for conflict.
Cambodia’s military, for its part, said Thailand had used artillery, armed drones and mortars against civilian areas and claimed that Thai F-16 jets had repeatedly entered Cambodian airspace, “some dropping bombs near civilian areas”.
The Cambodian defence ministry stated: “Cambodian forces have been fighting fiercely against the advancing enemy and have stood firm in their role of protecting Cambodia’s territorial integrity.”
The violence has taken a grave toll on civilians. Cambodia reports nine dead, including an infant, and 46 injured.
Thailand says five of its soldiers have been killed and 68 people wounded. Hundreds of thousands have fled border zones, though some residents have chosen to stay behind.
“I have to stay behind,” said Wuttikrai Chimngarm, sheltering in a makeshift bunker of stacked tyres in Thailand’s Buriram province. “I’m the head of the village, if not me, then who? Who will be safeguarding the houses and belongings of the villagers from looters?”
In Cambodia, 31-year-old farm worker Marng Sarun fled Kaun Kriel, a village about 25 kilometres from Samraong.
“This is my second run because the place I live was under attack both times,” he said, after escaping with his wife and children.
The conflict also forced Cambodia to withdraw its athletes from the Southeast Asian Games being hosted in Thailand, citing safety concerns and pressure from families.
As the humanitarian situation deteriorates and diplomatic efforts remain fragile, the newly imposed curfew in Sa Kaeo underscores Bangkok’s fear that the conflict could spread further, threatening both border security and civilian safety. - December 11, 2025
