Thailand's letter to the United Nations
1. On 16 and 23 July 2025, Thai army personnels, while conducting a routine patrol along an established route within Thailand's territory, stepped on PMN-2 landmines. As a result, two soldiers sustained severe injuries, leading to permanent disability while the remaining were seriously injured.
All of these PMN-2 landmines found were in new conditions, still with clearly visible markings. Evidence suggest that these landmines were newly planted. As a State Party to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, Thailand has dutifully submitted her annual transparency reports on the implementation of the obligations under the Convention in accordance with article 7.
The reports documented that Thailand completed the destruction of all its stockpile of anti-personnel mines in 2003, and subsequently destroyed all mines retained for training and research purposes in 2019. In contrast, Cambodia's latest report indicates that, as of 31 December 2024, Cambodia continues to retain PMN-2 landmines.
2. On 24 July 2025, at 08.20 hrs. Cambodian soldiers opened fire on a Thai military base at Ta Muen Thom in Surin Province of Thailand, resulting in the immediate injury of two Thai soldiers.
Shortly after, Cambodian troops launched indiscriminate attacks on Thai territory across four provinces of Buriram, Surin, Si Sa Ket and Ubon Ratchathani. These aggressive, indiscriminate and unlawful acts against Thai civilians have caused serious harms and led to the tragic loss of innocent civilian lives, including women and children.
Civilian infrastructure, including a hospital and a school, also sustained significant damages. As of 14.00 hrs. on 24 July 2025, the attacks had resulted in 11 deaths and 24 injuries, 8 of which are in critical conditions. More than 102,000 residents have been evacuated from their homes.
3. These series of unprovoked armed attacks initiated by the Cambodian Armed Forces constitute a clear violation of Article 2(4) of the Charter of the United Nations, the principles of good neighbourliness and peaceful coexistence between States.
Thailand has exercised utmost restraint against Cambodia's premeditated armed attacks and is compelled to exercise its inherent right of self-defence pursuant to Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. The self-defence measures taken by Thailand are strictly limited in scope, proportionate to the threats and directed solely at neutralizing the imminent danger posed by Cambodian Armed Forces.
4. Thailand further strongly condemns Cambodia's indiscriminate attacks against civilians, civilian objects, and public facilities, particularly hospitals, which constitute a flagrant violation of the Geneva Conventions of 1949, specifically Article 18 of the First Geneva Convention (Wounded and sick III. Protection of hospitals) and Article 19 of the Fourth Geneva Convention (Protection of medical units and establishments). Such inhumane acts have caused human suffering and hardship to innocent civilians.
5. Thailand remains firmly committed to the peaceful settlement of disputes and categorically rejects the use of force as a means to resolve international disputes. We call upon the international community to urge Cambodia to immediately cease its hostilities and resume dialogue in good faith. Thailand also reaffirms its readiness to engage through established bilateral mechanisms, including the Joint Boundary Commission, which is scheduled to take place in early September 2025, to resolve any outstanding differences.
The Permanent Mission of Thailand to the United Nations avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Permanent Missions and Permanent Observer Missions to the United Nations the assurances of its highest consideration.
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However, the joint press briefing by the Thai military and Foreign Ministry during a visit by military attachés to the conflict zone on Friday marked one of the most coherent and assertive efforts to communicate the facts on the ground. One of the key lessons from this border conflict is the critical importance of proactive diplomacy and strategic communication with the international community. This responsibility lies squarely with the government, national leadership, and the Foreign Ministry. Yet, Cambodia has consistently outpaced Thailand in projecting its narrative, winning sympathy abroad, even as facts on the ground indicate otherwise. Evidence clearly shows that c ivilian areas, including schools, hospitals, and entire communities, have suffered indiscriminate attacks by Cambodian forces and Thailand did not open fires. Even after a ceasefire was agreed, Cambodia reportedly violated the terms with continued shelling. Still, Thailand has failed to turn these facts into international awareness and support. Comments by Sean O'Neill, the nominee for U.S. ambassador to Thailand, underscored the perception gap Thailand faces internationally. During his Senate confirmation hearing, O'Neill criticised the border conflict as harmful and counterproductive, saying it neither benefits the Thai people nor strengthens the US-Thailand alliance, but instead results in unnecessary loss and hardship. That message did not reflect an understanding of Thailand's defensive position or the complexities of the situation. Similarly, statements from China have not helped improve Thailand's standing in the eyes of the global community. The underlying problem is Thailand's passive diplomatic posture. The government has spent each day fending off Cambodian accusations, many of which are distorted or false, without clearly asserting Thailand's own narrative. The leadership has remained largely absent from global discourse. In the resulting vacuum, Thai netizens and social media influencers have stepped in to share the truth with the world. Domestically, the government faces a crisis of confidence. A recent leak of an audio clip featuring Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen has deepened public mistrust. A poll conducted by Rangsit University shows that over 60% of Thais have no confidence in the prime minister's ability to manage the Thai-Cambodian conflict, while only 1% expressed strong confidence. Similarly, a survey by the Institute of Future Studies for Development found that 85.59% of respondents had little or no trust in the current government. In contrast, a poll by the Asia Vision Institute in Phnom Penh found that 93.6% of Cambodians were satisfied with their government's handling of the situation. The Friday briefing to foreign military attachés was a rare moment when Thailand presented its side with clarity and conviction. 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