Thailand–Cambodia Border Clashes Force Thousands to Flee Their Homes

Thailand’s health ministry said more than 58,000 people have fled areas near the border with Cambodia and sought sanctuary in temporary shelters as fighting along the frontier entered its second day on July 25.

The Thai military said Friday there had been clashes along the border in several areas, including Chong Bok and Phu Makhuea in Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani province, and Phanom Dong Rak in Surin province.

The United Nations Security Council is due to hold an emergency meeting in New York on Friday to discuss the crisis. Malaysia, which chairs the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), has offered to mediate in the dispute.

Thailand and Cambodia have long disputed parts of the 500-mile border between the two countries, especially around the ancient Buddhist Preah Vihear temple.

Clashes appeared to have erupted on July 24, after a land mine wounded five Thai soldiers on July 23, prompting Thailand to withdraw its ambassador from Cambodia and expel the Cambodian representative from the Thai capital, Bangkok.

The Cambodian government said more than 4,000 people had been evacuated from near the Thai border.

The fighting has killed at least 14 people in Thailand, while Cambodia confirmed its first death on Friday.

The Thai army said Cambodian forces had used heavy artillery and rocket launchers, and, in return, they gave “appropriate supporting fire.”

Thailand said one soldier and 13 civilians have been killed, and 15 soldiers and 30 civilians have been wounded.

Cambodia’s chief official in Oddar Meanchey province, Gen. Khov Ly, said a man had been killed on Thursday when a Thai rocket hit a Buddhist pagoda where he was sheltering.

Malaysia Calls for ‘Diplomatic Resolution’

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Thursday that he had spoken to Cambodian leader Hun Manet and Thai acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and urged them to seek a “peaceful dialogue and diplomatic resolution.”

Manet posted a statement on Facebook on Friday in which he said he was in favor of a cease-fire “because Cambodia did not launch the attack,” according to a translation in English.

“The key for seeking an end to the armed conflict between Thailand and Cambodia now is the genuine willingness of the Thai side to accept a cease-fire, the first step in seeking a further resolution between the two sides,” Manet said.

Thailand has not publicly commented on the cease-fire proposal.

U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said the organization’s secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, called for restraint and urged both countries to resolve disputes through dialogue.

Thailand had a defense budget of $5.73 billion in 2024, dwarfing the $1.3 billion Cambodia spent on defense in 2024.

There are around 75,000 soldiers in the Cambodian army, which has more than 200 battle tanks and 480 artillery pieces.

The Thai army, by contrast, has 245,000 personnel, 400 battle tanks, and around 2,600 pieces of artillery.

Thailand also has 112 combat aircraft, including 28 U.S.-built F-16s and 11 Swedish Gripen fighter jets.

Cambodia does not have any fighter jets, and its air force is mainly made up of helicopters.

Thailand is one of 19 designated major non-NATO allies of the United States. Others in the region include Japan, the Philippines, and South Korea.

Cambodia–China Relationship

Cambodia is one of Beijing’s closest allies in the region. In April, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) completed the inauguration of its upgraded naval base at Ream, Cambodia, which is large enough to dock an aircraft carrier.

Thailand and Cambodia have long disputed their border, with much of the tension stemming from a map drawn in 1907, when Cambodia was under French colonial rule.

Cambodia has been using the map as a reference to claim territory, while Thailand has argued that the map is inaccurate.

In 1962, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands, recognized Cambodian sovereignty over the temple, and the court reaffirmed its ruling in 2013.

Cambodia has asked the ICJ to resolve the border disputes, but Thailand has rejected the court’s jurisdiction.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.