THE conflict along the Thailand–Cambodia border has escalated sharply, with mounting military and civilian casualties and the complete shutdown of cross-border movement, raising fears of a prolonged confrontation between the two Southeast Asian neighbours.
Thailand’s Ministry of Defence said at least 15 Thai soldiers have been killed and 270 wounded in the latest clashes, which began on December 7, as both sides continue to trade blame over who initiated the fighting.
Defence Ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri told a press briefing on Saturday that civilian casualties have also risen, with the number of Thai civilians killed increasing to seven.
The fighting is centred on long-disputed frontier zones, particularly in Thailand’s Sisaket province and Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey province, areas that have repeatedly seen flare-ups over territorial claims.
Surasant said the humanitarian impact has been severe, with Thai authorities setting up 970 temporary shelters that are now housing more than 263,000 displaced people.
In a separate statement, the Royal Thai Army accused Cambodian forces of attacking civilian areas in Sisaket, leaving two people seriously injured.
The army said the incident occurred as residents were rushing to shelters after air raid warnings were issued, and condemned the attack as a violation of civilian safety.
Cambodian officials have not directly responded to the Thai military’s allegations. However, Cambodia’s Interior Ministry announced on Saturday that all land border crossings with Thailand have been closed indefinitely.
In its statement, the ministry said the decision was taken in response to what it described as “acts of aggression” by Thailand, which it claimed resulted in civilian deaths and damage to infrastructure and residential areas.
The Cambodian government advised its citizens currently living and working in Thailand to continue their daily activities as usual, while Thai nationals in Cambodia were urged to remain where they are until a ceasefire is achieved.
In Phnom Penh, Cambodian authorities reiterated that all Cambodia–Thailand border checkpoints were shut with immediate effect, even as claims emerged that a ceasefire had been reached.
The Interior Ministry said cross-border movement would remain suspended until further notice, citing ongoing Thai air operations, including reported air strikes using F-16 fighter jets that dropped bombs on several border targets on December 13.
The latest violence forms part of a broader conflict rooted in a long-standing dispute over an 800-kilometre shared border that has strained bilateral relations for decades. Since May 2025, at least 25 people have reportedly been killed, including four Thai soldiers, even before the most recent escalation.
United States President Donald Trump had earlier claimed that both sides had agreed to implement a ceasefire.
That claim was firmly rejected by Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who said no formal ceasefire agreement had been reached and that military operations would continue as long as threats to Thailand’s security remained.
The fighting has now displaced an estimated half a million people on both sides of the border, with thousands sheltering in temporary camps in Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey province and Thailand’s Buriram province, intensifying concerns over a deepening humanitarian crisis in the region. - December 14, 2025
