Everything you need to know about the Thailand-Cambodia conflict
Each nation has blamed the other for the escalation, which is the latest chapter in a long-running spat over an area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of both countries and Laos meet.
Thai military air strikes have targeted Cambodian military installations, while Thai Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin told reporters that Cambodia's actions, including an attack on a hospital, should be considered war crimes.
After the initial attacks, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet requested the UN Security Council convene an "urgent meeting … to stop Thailand's aggression".
What's the latest?
At least 14 casualties have been reported in border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia.
For the latest updates as they happen, see World News here.
Locals in the conflict zone on both sides of the border have fled the violence with both Thai and Cambodian citizens injured.
A leading expert says questions remain about how the conflict will be handled by both countries and what impacts it might have on the region more broadly.
Thai people looks at the damage of Phanom Dong Rak hospital after Cambodia fired artillery shells at Surin Province, Thailand, Thursday, July 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunny Chittawil) ( AP Photo: Sunny Chittawil )
What happened in the lead-up?
The dispute first flared in May after armed forces of Thailand and Cambodia briefly fired at each other in a relatively small, contested border area that each country claims as its own.
Both sides accused each other and said they acted in self-defence.
While the countries said afterwards they agreed to de-escalate the situation, Cambodian and Thai authorities continued to implement or threaten measures short of armed force, keeping tensions high.
Relations between the South-East Asian neighbours have deteriorated sharply since the armed confrontation in May.
Nationalist passions on both sides have further inflamed the situation.
Here's what's happened in recent weeks:
A soldier salutes as Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra leaves on a helicopter after she visits a Thailand-Cambodia border town of Aranyaprathet district, while she battles to stay in power after drawing sharp criticism of her handling of a border row with Cambodia, in Sa Kaeo province, Thailand, June 26, 2025. ( Reuters: Athit Perawongmetha )
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ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
Cambodia says it will nominate Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for helping end border conflict with Thailand
Cambodia's deputy prime minister says the country will nominate Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize after he helped secure a ceasefire with Thailand after days of deadly skirmishes. At least 43 people have been killed in the intense clashes, which lasted five days and displaced more than 300,000 people on both sides of the border in the worst violence between the neighbouring countries in more than a decade. Sun Chanthol thanks the US president for bringing peace and said he deserved to be nominated for the prize. "We acknowledge his great efforts for peace," Mr Chanthol said. The Nobel Peace Prize is the highest-profile international award given to an individual or organisation deemed to have done the most to "advance fellowship between nations". Cambodia said it would recommend Mr Trump for the award, after he made a phone call that reportedly broke a deadlock between Phnom Penh and Bangkok at the weekend. Reuters spoke to four sources from both countries to ascertain what secured the ceasefire that stopped the conflict. When Mr Trump called Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai on Saturday, two days after fighting erupted along a 200-km-long stretch of the border, Bangkok had not responded to mediation offers from Malaysia and China, said a Thai government source with direct knowledge. Thailand said it preferred bilateral negotiations. On Sunday, a day after his initial call, Mr Trump said that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to meet to work out a ceasefire, and that Washington would not move ahead with tariff negotiations with both until the conflict had ended. The source said as the Thai and Cambodian foreign ministries started talking, following Mr Trump's call, Bangkok set out its terms: the meeting must be between the two prime ministers and at a neutral location. On Monday, the peace deal was announced in Malaysia, with Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet standing alongside Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. Pakistan said in June that it would recommend Mr Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in helping to resolve a conflict with India, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last month he had nominated the US president for the award. Reuters/ABC
The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
Kyiv mourns after a Russian attack that killed dozens
The Ukrainian capital has observed an official day of mourning, a day after a Russian drone and missile attack on the city killed 31 people, including five children, and injured more than 150. The youngest victim in Thursday's strikes on Kyiv was two years old, and 16 of the injured were children, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Friday. The death toll rose overnight as emergency crews continued to dig through rubble. The Russian barrage demolished a large part of a nine-storey residential building in the city, while more than 100 other buildings were damaged, including homes, schools, kindergartens, medical facilities and universities, officials said. Russia has escalated its attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent months, ignoring calls from Western leaders including US President Donald Trump to stop striking civilian areas after more than three years of war. Russian forces are also pressing on with their grinding war of attrition along the 1000km front line, where incremental gains in the past year have cost the lives of thousands of soldiers on both sides. Zelenskiy said that in July, Russia launched more than 5100 glide bombs, more than 3800 Shahed drones and almost 260 missiles of various types, 128 of them ballistic, against Ukraine. He repeated his appeal for countries to impose heavier economic sanctions on Russia to deter the Kremlin, as US-led peace efforts have failed to gain traction. "No matter how much the Kremlin denies (sanctions') effectiveness, they are working and must be stronger," Zelenskiy said. His comments appeared to be a response to Trump's remarks the previous day, when the Republican president said the US plans to impose sanctions on Russia but added, "I don't know that sanctions bother him," in reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine also called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting to be convened on Friday, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said, in an effort to push Putin into accepting "a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire". Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are under heavy pressure in the strategic hilltop city of Chasiv Yar, in the eastern Donetsk region where Russia is making a concerted push to break through defences after some 18 months of fighting. Zelenskiy said Russian claims of capturing Chasiv Yar on Thursday were "disinformation". "Ukrainian units are holding our positions," Zelenskiy said in his daily video address on Thursday evening. "It is not easy, but it is the defence of Ukrainians' very right to life." Even so, the Institute for the Study of War said Ukraine's hold on the key city was weakening. "Russian forces will likely complete the seizure of Chasiv Yar in the coming days, which will open several possible avenues for Russian forces to attack Ukraine's fortress belt - a series of fortified cities that form the backbone of Ukraine's defensive positions" in the Donetsk region, the Washington-based think tank said. Ukraine has tried to pressure the Russian army by striking rear areas with long-range drones that target rail networks, oil depots and arsenals. Russia's defence ministry said air defences shot down 60 Ukrainian drones overnight. More than half were destroyed over Russia's Belgorod region on the country's border with Ukraine, it said. The Ukrainian capital has observed an official day of mourning, a day after a Russian drone and missile attack on the city killed 31 people, including five children, and injured more than 150. The youngest victim in Thursday's strikes on Kyiv was two years old, and 16 of the injured were children, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Friday. The death toll rose overnight as emergency crews continued to dig through rubble. The Russian barrage demolished a large part of a nine-storey residential building in the city, while more than 100 other buildings were damaged, including homes, schools, kindergartens, medical facilities and universities, officials said. Russia has escalated its attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent months, ignoring calls from Western leaders including US President Donald Trump to stop striking civilian areas after more than three years of war. Russian forces are also pressing on with their grinding war of attrition along the 1000km front line, where incremental gains in the past year have cost the lives of thousands of soldiers on both sides. Zelenskiy said that in July, Russia launched more than 5100 glide bombs, more than 3800 Shahed drones and almost 260 missiles of various types, 128 of them ballistic, against Ukraine. He repeated his appeal for countries to impose heavier economic sanctions on Russia to deter the Kremlin, as US-led peace efforts have failed to gain traction. "No matter how much the Kremlin denies (sanctions') effectiveness, they are working and must be stronger," Zelenskiy said. His comments appeared to be a response to Trump's remarks the previous day, when the Republican president said the US plans to impose sanctions on Russia but added, "I don't know that sanctions bother him," in reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine also called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting to be convened on Friday, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said, in an effort to push Putin into accepting "a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire". Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are under heavy pressure in the strategic hilltop city of Chasiv Yar, in the eastern Donetsk region where Russia is making a concerted push to break through defences after some 18 months of fighting. Zelenskiy said Russian claims of capturing Chasiv Yar on Thursday were "disinformation". "Ukrainian units are holding our positions," Zelenskiy said in his daily video address on Thursday evening. "It is not easy, but it is the defence of Ukrainians' very right to life." Even so, the Institute for the Study of War said Ukraine's hold on the key city was weakening. "Russian forces will likely complete the seizure of Chasiv Yar in the coming days, which will open several possible avenues for Russian forces to attack Ukraine's fortress belt - a series of fortified cities that form the backbone of Ukraine's defensive positions" in the Donetsk region, the Washington-based think tank said. Ukraine has tried to pressure the Russian army by striking rear areas with long-range drones that target rail networks, oil depots and arsenals. Russia's defence ministry said air defences shot down 60 Ukrainian drones overnight. More than half were destroyed over Russia's Belgorod region on the country's border with Ukraine, it said. The Ukrainian capital has observed an official day of mourning, a day after a Russian drone and missile attack on the city killed 31 people, including five children, and injured more than 150. The youngest victim in Thursday's strikes on Kyiv was two years old, and 16 of the injured were children, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Friday. The death toll rose overnight as emergency crews continued to dig through rubble. The Russian barrage demolished a large part of a nine-storey residential building in the city, while more than 100 other buildings were damaged, including homes, schools, kindergartens, medical facilities and universities, officials said. Russia has escalated its attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent months, ignoring calls from Western leaders including US President Donald Trump to stop striking civilian areas after more than three years of war. Russian forces are also pressing on with their grinding war of attrition along the 1000km front line, where incremental gains in the past year have cost the lives of thousands of soldiers on both sides. Zelenskiy said that in July, Russia launched more than 5100 glide bombs, more than 3800 Shahed drones and almost 260 missiles of various types, 128 of them ballistic, against Ukraine. He repeated his appeal for countries to impose heavier economic sanctions on Russia to deter the Kremlin, as US-led peace efforts have failed to gain traction. "No matter how much the Kremlin denies (sanctions') effectiveness, they are working and must be stronger," Zelenskiy said. His comments appeared to be a response to Trump's remarks the previous day, when the Republican president said the US plans to impose sanctions on Russia but added, "I don't know that sanctions bother him," in reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine also called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting to be convened on Friday, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said, in an effort to push Putin into accepting "a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire". Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are under heavy pressure in the strategic hilltop city of Chasiv Yar, in the eastern Donetsk region where Russia is making a concerted push to break through defences after some 18 months of fighting. Zelenskiy said Russian claims of capturing Chasiv Yar on Thursday were "disinformation". "Ukrainian units are holding our positions," Zelenskiy said in his daily video address on Thursday evening. "It is not easy, but it is the defence of Ukrainians' very right to life." Even so, the Institute for the Study of War said Ukraine's hold on the key city was weakening. "Russian forces will likely complete the seizure of Chasiv Yar in the coming days, which will open several possible avenues for Russian forces to attack Ukraine's fortress belt - a series of fortified cities that form the backbone of Ukraine's defensive positions" in the Donetsk region, the Washington-based think tank said. Ukraine has tried to pressure the Russian army by striking rear areas with long-range drones that target rail networks, oil depots and arsenals. Russia's defence ministry said air defences shot down 60 Ukrainian drones overnight. More than half were destroyed over Russia's Belgorod region on the country's border with Ukraine, it said. The Ukrainian capital has observed an official day of mourning, a day after a Russian drone and missile attack on the city killed 31 people, including five children, and injured more than 150. The youngest victim in Thursday's strikes on Kyiv was two years old, and 16 of the injured were children, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Friday. The death toll rose overnight as emergency crews continued to dig through rubble. The Russian barrage demolished a large part of a nine-storey residential building in the city, while more than 100 other buildings were damaged, including homes, schools, kindergartens, medical facilities and universities, officials said. Russia has escalated its attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent months, ignoring calls from Western leaders including US President Donald Trump to stop striking civilian areas after more than three years of war. Russian forces are also pressing on with their grinding war of attrition along the 1000km front line, where incremental gains in the past year have cost the lives of thousands of soldiers on both sides. Zelenskiy said that in July, Russia launched more than 5100 glide bombs, more than 3800 Shahed drones and almost 260 missiles of various types, 128 of them ballistic, against Ukraine. He repeated his appeal for countries to impose heavier economic sanctions on Russia to deter the Kremlin, as US-led peace efforts have failed to gain traction. "No matter how much the Kremlin denies (sanctions') effectiveness, they are working and must be stronger," Zelenskiy said. His comments appeared to be a response to Trump's remarks the previous day, when the Republican president said the US plans to impose sanctions on Russia but added, "I don't know that sanctions bother him," in reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine also called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting to be convened on Friday, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said, in an effort to push Putin into accepting "a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire". Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are under heavy pressure in the strategic hilltop city of Chasiv Yar, in the eastern Donetsk region where Russia is making a concerted push to break through defences after some 18 months of fighting. Zelenskiy said Russian claims of capturing Chasiv Yar on Thursday were "disinformation". "Ukrainian units are holding our positions," Zelenskiy said in his daily video address on Thursday evening. "It is not easy, but it is the defence of Ukrainians' very right to life." Even so, the Institute for the Study of War said Ukraine's hold on the key city was weakening. "Russian forces will likely complete the seizure of Chasiv Yar in the coming days, which will open several possible avenues for Russian forces to attack Ukraine's fortress belt - a series of fortified cities that form the backbone of Ukraine's defensive positions" in the Donetsk region, the Washington-based think tank said. Ukraine has tried to pressure the Russian army by striking rear areas with long-range drones that target rail networks, oil depots and arsenals. Russia's defence ministry said air defences shot down 60 Ukrainian drones overnight. More than half were destroyed over Russia's Belgorod region on the country's border with Ukraine, it said.
ABC News
2 days ago
- ABC News
Border conflict reveals how Cambodia and Thailand have leveled up their weapons of war
A fragile ceasefire is holding after the most violent border clashes in more than a decade between Thailand and Cambodia, but human rights groups are urging a United Nations-led investigation into alleged war crimes and civilian harm. The five-day conflict displaced more than 300,000 people and left at least 43 dead, in what observers say was the deadliest confrontation between the two neighbours in a decade. The fighting also revealed the depth of global arms proliferation in South-East Asia. Both sides deployed high-end weaponry from a variety of suppliers, ranging from China and Russia to Sweden and the United States. Footage analysed by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and defence intelligence group Janes confirmed Cambodia's deployment of Chinese PHL-81 multiple rocket systems and several other systems, highlighting the deepening defence relationship between Phnom Penh and Beijing. Cambodia also deployed Russian BMP-3 infantry fighting tanks, part of a $200 million arms deal signed in 2018, according to analysts. Thailand countered with F-16 fighter jets, drones, Stryker infantry carriers, and Swedish-made Gripens aircraft, according to Thai Ministry of Defence statements and SIPRI's arms trade database. "The level of hardware we saw from both sides this time is unprecedented," said Thailand-based military analyst Anthony Davis. "We're not just talking about rifles and mortars. These are systems designed for high-intensity conflict." Thailand boasts a $US5.73 billion ($8.87 billion) defence budget and 360,000 active military personnel, significantly outmatching Cambodia's 124,300 troops and ageing arsenal. But that numerical advantage belies a more complex picture of shifting regional alliances. While Thailand continues to straddle multiple arms suppliers, Cambodia has rapidly modernised its forces through deeper ties with China. "Since the 2014 [Thai] military coup against Thaksin's sister, [then] prime minister Yingluck [Shinawatra], the US-Thailand defence relationship has somewhat cooled down," said Rahman Yaacob, an independent military analyst focused on South-East Asia. Historically, Cambodia has relied on RM-70 multiple rocket launchers from the Czech Republic and large quantities of Soviet-era weapons acquired during the 1990s and 2000s. But in recent years, it has pivoted more decisively toward Beijing. "China has been Cambodia's most important security trading partner since around 2008," Mr Yaacob said. "Due to human rights abuses in Cambodia, the Americans reduced military assistance." Those abuses — chronicled by Human Rights Watch and the US State Department— include the dismantling of democratic institutions, a crackdown on opposition parties, and suppression of media and civil society under former prime minister Hun Sen. Human rights groups and analysts warned that the recent use of long-range weaponry has made the conflict significantly more dangerous and raised concerns about future escalation. "The Thai military certainly flagged the potential for Cambodia to use its Chinese 300mm PHL-03 multiple launch rocket systems, which pack a much bigger punch than the 122mm BM-21s and have a range of up to 130 kilometres," Mr Davis told the ABC. The Cambodian military said they did not use the PHL-03. Beijing has armed both countries, while quietly discouraging outright escalation, analysts said. Though Cambodia is often seen as China's closest military client in ASEAN, Thailand has also increasingly turned to Beijing, especially in the past decade. "It's not as simple as China backs Cambodia and the US backs Thailand," said Mr Yaacob. "It seems Thailand is moving away from the US to China because the systems are cheaper and less restricted." He noted that China does not impose restrictions on buyers. The US required buyers to request permission before using its Harpoon missiles — even during training. Despite arming both sides, China does not want a full-blown war, said Siemon Wezeman, senior researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. "These things happen and both sides don't want to give in, don't want to say that they started it," said Mr Wezeman. "You see macho guys going at each other, and somebody has to step in between — which luckily Malaysia did in this case." Cluster bomb use, school closures, and a high civilian death toll prompted global outcry. Fortify Rights and Human Rights Watch have accused both sides of potential violations of international humanitarian law. Civilian areas were struck by rockets and artillery, while Fortify Rights earlier this week pointed to evidence that Cambodia was "indiscriminately attacking" civilians. "The use of unguided Grad rockets against civilian-populated areas is by its very nature indiscriminate, and may amount to war crimes," said Peter Bouckaert, senior director at Fortify Rights. According to Human Rights Watch, at least 852 schools and seven hospitals in Thailand were closed for safety reasons. Children were among those harmed in the crossfire. Neither country is party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, yet both are bound by broader obligations under the Geneva Conventions. While initially denying Cambodian claims, a Thai military spokesperson later acknowledged that cluster munitions "can be utilised when necessary" — a statement that drew condemnation. "Neither Thailand nor Cambodia appears to be paying attention to international humanitarian law at great expense to civilians," said John Sifton, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. "Diplomatic efforts underway need to prioritise protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure." Thai authorities also confirmed using F-16 jets and drones to launch air strikes against Cambodian positions. Drone footage released by the Royal Thai Air Force showed strikes on what were described as Cambodian weapons depots. The fighting has devastated communities along the 800-kilometre border, long disputed and dotted with ancient temple sites. Many say this bout of violence surpassed previous episodes in intensity. Thidarat Homhuan, 37, was one of thousands of people in Thailand's Surin province who fled their homes and sought refuge in makeshift shelters. She told the AFP news agency the conflict felt more severe than the last major clashes in 2011. "It wasn't this serious back then. People's houses weren't damaged like this. There were no announcements about civilians being injured," she said. "This year is much worse — the number of deaths and injuries is really devastating." The recent cross-border conflict was the first known use of the Swedish Saab Gripen fighter jets by the Royal Thai Air Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard told a defence publication this week that Thailand's request for additional jets had been withheld, stating, "the government is closely monitoring developments in the border conflict." The jets used in the conflict were delivered under a two-phase deal. Thailand bought six Gripens valued at more than $1 billion in 2007. They purchased another six in 2012. The sale was originally defended by Swedish officials who said the aircraft were for reconnaissance, not attack. But Mr Wezeman said that justification had not held up under scrutiny and jets have become a point of contention in Sweden's defence policy debate. Sweden's export controls, which are supposed to limit sales to conflict zones, have come under fresh criticism. Mr Wezeman said Sweden was far from alone in facing these dilemmas. "Weapons have long life spans. You sell them today, and 10 or 15 years later, governments change, coups happen — and suddenly that gear is in a war zone," he said. "This is quite normal. And once it's out there, you're no longer in control." ABC/AFP
