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Cambodia has accused Thailand of committing “inhumane and brutal acts” of aggression, claiming it has refrained from retaliating. Meanwhile, Thailand announced it has conducted airstrikes on military targets in response to Cambodia’s mobilization of heavy weaponry and repositioning of combat units.
In light of the escalating tensions, Thailand reported relocating 380,000 people to shelters, while Cambodian authorities have moved 1,157 families from the Oddar Meanchey province.
This recent flare-up is the most intense since a five-day conflict in July, which involved rocket and heavy artillery exchanges and was considered the worst fighting between the two nations in recent memory. The clashes resulted in at least 48 fatalities and displaced 300,000 people before former President Donald Trump intervened to negotiate a truce.
Thailand has accused Cambodia of newly laying several landmines, and insists it will not continue de-escalation efforts until Cambodia issues an apology. Cambodia, on the other hand, has consistently denied these accusations.
A peace agreement was facilitated by former U.S. President Donald Trump, with Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet signing the deal in October. Source: AP / Mohd Rasfan
US President Donald Trump (right) brokered a peace deal signed by Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (centre) and Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet (left) in October. Source: AP / Mohd Rasfan
Trump, who Cambodia nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, had made calls to leaders of both countries last month, urging them to stick to the ceasefire.
How do the two countries compare militarily?
Thailand has a large and well-funded military that dwarfs that of Cambodia, with triple the active armed forces personnel and a 2024 defence budget allocation that was four times bigger than its neighbour’s.
Cambodia’s military budget is a quarter the size of Thailand’s. Source: EPA / Kith Serey
Cambodia’s army has 75,000 soldiers, more than 200 battle tanks and around 480 pieces of artillery, compared to the Thai army’s 245,000 personnel, around 400 tanks, more than 1,200 armoured personnel carriers and 2,600 artillery weapons.
Thailand’s air force has nearly 40 fighter jets and dozens of helicopters, while Cambodia has 16 multi-role helicopters but no fighter aircraft.
Where does the dispute originate?
In 2000, they agreed to establish a commission to peacefully address overlapping claims, but little progress has been made.
Cambodian soldiers on guard at Preah Vihear temple near Cambodia’s Thai border in July 2025. Source: AP / Mak Remissa
Claims over ownership of historical sites have raised nationalist tension, notably in 2003 when rioters torched the Thai embassy and Thai businesses in Phnom Penh over an alleged remark by a Thai celebrity questioning jurisdiction over Cambodia’s World Heritage-listed Angkor Wat temple.
The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but Thailand continued to lay claim to the surrounding land. Tension escalated in 2008 after Cambodia tried to list Preah Vihear as a UNESCO World Heritage site, leading to skirmishes and at least a dozen deaths, including during a week-long artillery exchange in 2011.
