Why are Thailand and Cambodia fighting at the border and what happened today?

The border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia escalated dramatically on Friday, with both sides trading heavy artillery and rocket fire in the deadliest confrontation in over a decade. At least 15 people have died — 14 in Thailand and one in Cambodia — while more than 120,000 people have been forced to flee their homes.Amid mounting regional concern, Thailand has imposed martial law in eight dricts, and a ceasefire proposal Malaysia, initially accepted both countries, appears to have collapsed.
What triggered Friday’s escalation?
Fighting intensified across 12 locations along the disputed border, doubling from the day before, according to Thailand’s military. Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri confirmed that “Cambodia had continued to use heavy weapons” as Thai forces responded in kind.
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Thailand scrambled an F-16 fighter jet for airstrikes on Cambodian targets, after claiming Cambodian forces launched long-range rockets at Thai civilian areas. Phnom Penh has accused Bangkok of initiating the attack.
Thailand’s acting Prime Miner Phumtham Wechayachai warned: “This present incident of aggression is escalating and could develop to the stage of war. However, right now we are still at altercation level, battling with heavy weapons. What we have done so far is to protect our land and sovereignty of our nation.”
A Thai resident prepares to evacuate from home following clashes between Thai and Cambodian soldiers in Sisaket province, Thailand, Friday, July 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Ceasefire collapse and a blame game
Cambodian Prime Miner Hun Manet blamed Thailand for withdrawing from a ceasefire plan proposed Malaysian leader Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the current ASEAN chair.
“The key to resolving the current armed conflict between Thailand and Cambodia is the genuine willingness of the Thai side to accept a ceasefire,” Hun Manet said in a Facebook post, calling Thailand’s reversal “regrettable.”Story continues below this ad
Thailand’s foreign minry responded saying it “agrees in principle” with the ceasefire but that implementation must be “based on appropriate on-the-ground conditions.”
“It must be stated that throughout the day, Cambodian forces have continued their indiscriminate attacks on Thai territory,” the minry said on X. “Cambodia’s actions demonstrate a lack of good faith and continue to place civilians in danger.”
Who has been affected in Thailand-Cambodia clash?
Thailand’s Minry of Public Health reported that 138,000 people have been evacuated from four provinces along the Cambodian border, as the country’s death toll rose to 15, including 14 civilians. Among the victims was an eight-year-old boy.
Cambodia’s national government has not released official figures on casualties or civilian evacuations. However, a local official in Oddar Meanchey province told Reuters that one civilian was killed, five others were injured, and around 1,500 families have been displaced.Story continues below this ad
A Thai soldier stands at the Phanom Dong Rak hospital damaged after Cambodia fired artillery shells in Surin Province, Thailand, Friday, July 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Displacement has surged. Cambodian authorities said 20,000 people have evacuated from Preah Vihear province. Thailand’s Minry of Interior reported that 100,672 people have been relocated to shelters from four provinces bordering Cambodia, with over 300 evacuation centres opened.
Amid the exodus, grim testimonies are emerging.
“Some of the older people that we have talked to said what they have seen in the last 48 hours — the fighting they’ve seen — has been the fiercest in this disputed area since the late 1970s when the Khmer Rouge had complete control of the other side of the border,” one journal reported.
International response
The United Nations Security Council is expected to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the crisis.
The United States, a longtime Thai ally, has urged both nations to halt hostilities. China, which has close ties to Cambodia, said it was “deeply concerned” and encouraged dialogue.Story continues below this ad
Chinese Foreign Miner Wang Yi said: “The root cause of this issue lies in the lingering consequences left Western colonials in the past, and it now needs to be faced calmly and handled properly.”
Beijing also offered to play a “constructive role” in defusing tensions.
Why are Thailand and Cambodia fighting?
The border dispute traces back to a 1907 map drawn under French colonial rule, used Cambodia to assert its territorial claims. Thailand contests the map’s accuracy.
Tensions spiked again this year following a deadly May skirmish and a landmine blast that injured a Thai soldier earlier this week. Friday’s fighting marks the most severe episode since 2011, when week-long clashes killed 15 people and displaced tens of thousands.
(Inputs from AP and Reuters)