Thai-Cambodian border tensions erupt
As Thai and Cambodian forces traded fire along the border on Thursday, government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub insisted that Cambodia was the one who fired the first shot, before condemning the neighbouring country as "inhumane" and "war-hungry".
The army said the confrontation began after Cambodian troops opened fire on Thai positions near the ancient Ta Muean Thom temple in Surin's Phanom Dong Rak district, which is located along the border.
The clashes subsequently spread to six other areas along the Thai-Cambodian border in the province.
Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin said at least 12 Thai citizens -- 11 civilians and one soldier -- were killed in the clashes, while about 30 others sustained various injuries. However, Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the attacks resulted in 11 deaths -- 10 civilians and one soldier -- and 28 injuries, including 24 civilians and four military personnel.
Military sources said Cambodian troops have placed multiple-launch rocket systems along the border. They claimed the rocket launchers are pointed towards populated areas, which could worsen the humanitarian impact of the conflict.
In response to the bombardment of Thai homes by Cambodian artillery, the Thai armed forces launched a targeted air operation, with F-16 fighter jets deployed to strike two Cambodian command centres to disperse enemy forces.
The border conflict intensified throughout Thursday, with Cambodian forces firing artillery rounds at about 10 locations in four Thai provinces: Si Sa Ket, Buri Ram, Ubon Ratchathani, and Surin.
Thai authorities are currently assessing the full scale of the damage, and emergency services have been mobilised to assist affected communities.
Official response
Mr Jirayu said the Foreign Affairs Ministry will be lodging formal protests with international organisations in response to Cambodia's hostile actions.
He insisted that Cambodian forces initiated the conflict, and blasted their continued use of heavy weaponry against civilian targets.
"We call upon the international community to condemn Cambodia's actions. Cambodia has shown itself to be a nation driven by a hunger for war, with complete disregard for human rights and humanitarian principles of any kind," he said.
The Royal Thai Army has also strongly condemned Cambodia's actions, in particular, its use of force against civilians in Thai territory, saying the strikes constituted a grave breach of international humanitarian principles.
In the statement, the military reaffirmed its commitment to defending national sovereignty and protecting Thai citizens from any act of aggression.
Suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra also took to her Facebook page to condemn Cambodia's attacks.
"I condemn Cambodia for the use of violence and act of aggression along the Thai border, by which the Cambodian side initiated the use of arms and fired into Thai territory -- impacting both officials and innocent civilians. Such action constitutes a clear violation of international legal norms, especially fundamental human rights and ethical principles," she said in her post.
F-16s strike back
In response to Cambodia's aggression, the Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTAF) deployed F-16 fighter jets to support ground operations along the Thai–Cambodian border.
According to military sources, six jets carried out precision strikes targeting Cambodian artillery positions shelling Thai civilian areas. Specifically, the operation focused on two key Cambodian military installations: the 8th Support Regiment Headquarters and the 9th Support Regiment, which were being used as command centres to coordinate attacks on Thai villages.
The air operation, lasting 20 minutes, was successfully completed without incident. All six F-16 aircraft safely returned to their base.
Around 11.40am, Thai ground forces blocked off a key access route leading up to Phu Makuea in Si Sa Ket to prevent further incursions.
At 4.40pm, the RTAF ordered another airstrike, deploying four F-16 fighter jets to hit Cambodian military positions near the disputed Ta Muean Thom temple in Phanom Dong Rak district, Surin.
According to the sources, the jets successfully hit their designated targets in the southern sector of the temple, and all aircraft returned safely to base following the mission.
This marks a significant escalation in the ongoing tensions between Thailand and Cambodia, which have intensified following earlier clashes and accusations of landmine placements and attacks on civilian targets.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bangkok Post
3 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
State earns weak marks for messaging during tension
Social media platforms in Thailand recorded 2.6 million messages in July about Thailand-Cambodia border tensions, with Facebook, YouTube and X, formerly called Twitter, the top three channels. However, communication executives said government officials still fail to effectively communicate during crises and amid cyberwarfare. According to Kla Tangsuwan, chief executive of Wisesight, a social media analytics firm, the dispute generated total engagement of 606 million messages on Thai social media last month, with peak engagement on July 24 with 129 million messages. The 2023 general election only generated 1.42 million messages and 95.2 million engagements over a one-month span, noted Wisesight. The border dispute produced twice the volume of messages as the general election and five times the engagement. "We detect spam and there are a lot of messages from bots using the Cambodian language," said Mr Kla. "It's starting to become a misinformation operation, manipulating people across the country and making them doubt what's real on both sides of the dispute.' There is no Thai special communications centre on the border tension, unlike for other major events such as the coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic or the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck central Myanmar on March 28, 2025. Thailand needs to communicate facts without opinion to international media and adopt a proactive approach rather than reactive responses, he said. The country needs to demonstrate facts with evidence, build public awareness with verified and emotionally-resonant communication, and adopt a fair and transparent international communication approach, he said. Pawat Ruangdejworachai, chief executive of Media Intelligence Group, said earlier in the week Thailand's reactive, timid messaging has allowed the 'other side' to build sustained momentum through low-cost, emotionally charged media, targeting bottom-tier audiences. Cambodian messages focus on volume over quality, flooding the conversation with gossip, he said. 'When the opposing side communicates, it sometimes dilutes trust in Thailand among international stakeholders,' said Mr Pawat. Mana Treelayapewat, a lecturer in communication at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said the government's crisis communication efforts have been insufficient as it needs better coordination and timely, clear messages to relevant stakeholders. This situation requires a dedicated, centralised "war room" to manage messaging, counter misinformation, and present a unified voice across government, military and media channels, he said. When only fragmented information is released, confusion and rumours thrive, said Mr Mana. Thais tend to amplify and share what they hear, while opposing actors exploit the vacuum to release their own narratives, he said, which is why government spokespeople must communicate clearly, credibly and in multiple languages. Counter-narratives must clarify and correct information consistently, as the online world moves faster than official updates, said Mr Mana. He said the Government Public Relations Department (PRD) must have intense coordination with key ministries, developing a unified crisis communication command centre to coordinate with the media, adversaries, and the public.
Bangkok Post
4 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
Thai media deny lack of reporting ethics
Three major Thai media organisations issued a joint statement on Thursday, strongly rejecting accusations from the Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ) that Thai media lack ethics in reporting on the Thai-Cambodian border conflict. The statement called the claims unacceptable and defamatory and urged the CCJ to take responsibility for ethical oversight and disinformation control within Cambodia. The statement came from the Thai Journalists Association (TJA), the Society for Online News Providers (SONP) and the National Union of Journalists Thailand (NUJT). The statement demanded that the CCJ cease interfering in Thai media's internal affairs and fulfil its duty to rigorously examine the ethical conduct of Cambodian media, free from control or dominance. It called on the CCJ to take tangible measures to address fake news and disinformation originating and spreading online from Cambodia, noting numerous instances of such disinformation. The Thai media stressed its commitment to ethical self-regulation, saying: "We are fully committed to and respectful of the rights and freedoms of the public and the press. We reaffirm our dedication to reporting based on ethics, impartiality, and accuracy, without inciting hatred between our two nations, and with a genuine desire for peace." It added that the TJA will temporarily suspend relations with the CCJ until the situation normalises, citing concerns that the CCJ is acting more as a government mouthpiece than as an independent organisation. The TJA had previously signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the CCJ to foster mutual understanding through media cooperation.
Bangkok Post
4 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
Thailand seeks neutral venue for border meeting with Cambodia
The Ministry of Defence on Thursday confirmed that Thailand has officially requested to change the venue for the upcoming Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) meeting, proposing Malaysia as a neutral host. RAdm Surasan Kongsiri, the ministry's spokesman, said the Cambodian government had invited Deputy Defence Minister Gen Nattaphon Narkphanit to attend the meeting scheduled for Aug 4, but Thailand believed such talks should not be held in a country in conflict with the other party. "According to international norms, countries in dispute should not meet on each other's soil. Such talks should be held in a neutral third country," said RAdm Surasan, citing the example of Ukraine and Russia, which avoided hosting talks in each other's territory. Thailand suggested Malaysia as the neutral third country, given its role in coordinating such discussions. The proposed dates remain Aug 4 to Aug 7, and Thailand will soon send its request to Cambodia and Malaysia. "Thailand's approach was proactive and rooted in the principle of neutrality," said the spokesman. "We will have to wait for Cambodia's response. If they are sincere, we believe they will agree." On Monday, Malaysia hosted talks between Thai and Cambodian leaders, who agreed to an unconditional ceasefire. However, the Thai government complained later accused Cambodia of continued and indiscriminate attacks on Thai soil after the ceasefire took effect at midnight.
