At least 12 people have been killed as military forces clash near a contested border site

Smoke rises from PTT gas station after Cambodian artillery struck a convenience store in Thailand's Sisaket border province. © Getty Images / ROYAL THAI ARMY / HANDOUT

Thailand and Cambodia have exchanged strikes in a flare-up of violence over a disputed border area. At least a dozen people are reported to have been killed since clashes erupted on Thursday. 

Troops from both sides exchanged fire near the Ta Muen Thom temple, a centuries-old Khmer Hindu site located in a contested area claimed by both nations. The dispute stems from colonial-era French maps that left parts of the border ill-defined.

Both countries have accused each other of opening fire first. The clash marks the deadliest escalation in the long-running territorial standoff in recent years.

The day before, Thailand closed its northeast border crossing with Cambodia, withdrew its ambassador, and expelled the Cambodian envoy to protest a landmine blast that wounded five Thai soldiers.

Cambodia has since said it will also be downgrading diplomatic relations with Thailand to their lowest level, and will be expelling the Thai ambassador as well as recalling all Cambodian staff from its embassy in Bangkok.

24 July 2025

12:04 GMT

Cambodian President Hun Sen has denied media reports that he has fled the country. He shared images on social media of himself in the war room, leading the military response to “Thai aggression.”

 

 

12:02 GMT

Thailand has released images of F-16 strikes on Cambodian military posts tied to Thursday’s cross-border shelling. Bangkok claims to have targeted the headquarters of Cambodia’s 8th and 9th Infantry Support Divisions.

 

 

11:58 GMT

Thailand’s Health Ministry says 12 people, including 11 civilians and one Thai soldier, have been killed in clashes with Cambodian troops. Another 31 people, including 24 civilians, are said to have been injured.

Cambodia has claimed that a Thai F-16 fighter jet dropped two bombs on a road but has not reported any casualties.

 

11:57 GMT

Thailand has called for the international condemnation of Cambodia’s actions. In a post on Facebook, government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub accused Phnom Penh of being a “war-monger that disregards human rights by continuously using heavy weapons against civilian targets.”

11:57 GMT

There can be no talks with Cambodia until fighting along the border stops, Thailand’s caretaker Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has said. He accused Cambodia of firing heavy weapons without clear targets, leading to civilian deaths. 

At the same time, the prime minister noted that there has been no declaration of war and that the conflict was not currently spilling over into other regions.