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Thailand launches airstrikes on Cambodian military targets as deadly border dispute escalates

by Helen Regan, Kocha Olarn, Lex Harvey, Antoinette Radford and Laura Sharman
July 24, 2025

• Thailand launched airstrikes against Cambodian military targets along their long-disputed border, escalating tensions between the Southeast Asian neighbors. Thailand also accused Cambodia of launching rockets into civilian areas. Thailand’s health ministry said that at least 12 people, including 11 civilians and one soldier, have been killed in clashes with Cambodian troops.

• The strikes came a day after a Thai soldier lost his leg to a landmine on the border, prompting a downgrade of diplomatic ties by both Bangkok and Phnom Penh as relations collapse to their lowest level in years.

• Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended this month and could face dismissal after the leak of a phone call she had with Cambodia’s powerful former leader Hun Sen, in which she appeared to criticize her army’s actions in the dispute.

• Thailand and Cambodia have a relationship of both cooperation and rivalry. They share a 500-mile (800-kilometer) land border — largely mapped by France when it ruled Cambodia — that has periodically seen military clashes and been the source of political tensions.

Cambodia condemns Thai military over damage to UNESCO World Heritage Site
by Len Leng and Olivia Kemp

Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts has expressed its “strongest condemnation of the aggression” carried out by Thailand’s military, saying that the targeting of Preah Vihear temple — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — “may constitute war crimes.”

In a statement Thursday, the ministry called the strikes a “grave and unacceptable violation of international law” and a “blatant disregard” for legal obligations to protect cultural heritage.

The strikes caused “significant damage” to both the “surrounding area and the structures” of the temple, it said. The temple, it added, is a “sacred cultural site and historical legacy of the Cambodian people.”

The ministry claimed Thailand’s “aggressive actions” are both a “cultural disaster and a moral tragedy,” warning of “far-reaching consequences for global heritage and the national identity of the Cambodian people.”

The ministry demanded the stop to military activity near the temple.

Cambodia’s defense ministry said earlier Thursday that a Thai F-16 fighter jet had dropped two bombs on a road near the 11th-century temple as clashes erupted at several flashpoints along the two countries’ disputed border.

Japan urges Cambodia and Thailand to "de-escalate" border tensions

by Olivia Kemp and Len Leng

Japan has expressed “deep concern” over the ongoing military clashes between Cambodia and Thailand, urging both sides to show “maximum restraint” and resolve tensions through dialogue.

“Japan has been working to encourage both countries to de-escalate the situation,” Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said in a statement on Thursday. “A sound relationship between Cambodia and Thailand is extremely important for peace and stability in the region.”

He added that he “strongly hopes” that the tension between the two countries “will be eased peacefully through dialogue.”

Thailand has launched airstrikes at Cambodia

Royal Thai Army soldiers ride on an armored vehicle in Chachoengsao province, Thailand on Thursday.

Thailand has launched airstrikes against what it says were Cambodian military targets along the two countries’ long-disputed border. It has also accused Cambodia of firing rockets into Thai civilian areas, resulting in at least one death.

For its part, Cambodia has said it would “respond decisively” to the strikes, accusing Thai forces of violating arrangements by ascending to the Ta Muan Thom Temple and deploying barbed wire at the base of the temple. It also said Thai forces launched a drone.

Skirmishes in May: Tensions between the two countries started to worsen in May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed during a brief clash between Thai and Cambodian troops in a contested border area of the Emerald Triangle, where Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos meet. Thai and Cambodian forces said they were acting in self-defense and blamed each other for the skirmish. Although military leaders from Thailand and Cambodia said they wished to de-escalate, both sides have since engaged in saber-rattling and reinforced troops along the border.

Thai PM suspension: The Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended from duties earlier this month and could face dismissal after the leak of a phone call she had with Cambodia’s powerful former leader Hun Sen — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet’s father — in which she appeared to criticize her own army’s actions in the dispute.

Soldier loses leg: On Wednesday, a Thai soldier lost his leg to a landmine on the border, prompting a downgrade of diplomatic ties by both Bangkok and Phnom Penh.

Thailand deploys jets: After the soldier lost his leg, a Thai fighter jet dropped bombs on Cambodian military targets along their disputed border on Thursday.

Cambodia responds: Cambodia’s defense ministry confirmed that a Thai F-16 had dropped two bombs on a road near the ancient Preah Vihear temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It condemned what it called “brutal, barbaric, and violent military aggression,” accusing Thailand of violating international law.

Civilians killed: Armed clashes between the two Southeast Asian neighbors killed at least 11 civilians and one soldier in Thailand. Cambodia has not yet released a civilian death toll.

Thailand accuses Cambodia of strikes: Thailand has accused Cambodia of launching a strike on civilian infrastructure. Cambodia has not yet responded to this accusation, but earlier swore to “respond decisively.”

End of talks until fighting stops: The Thai government has called on the international community to condemn Cambodia’s actions in a post on Facebook, accusing the country of being a “war-monger that disregards human rights by continuously using heavy weapons against civilian targets.” The acting prime minister said the country will not resume talks until the fighting stops.