Thailand Warns of War With Cambodia as Deadly Border Clashes Continue

AP via NY Times

More than 100,000 people have fled a disputed border area between Thailand and Cambodia as fighting

Thailand’s acting prime minister warned on Friday, 25 July 2025, that escalating border clashes with Cambodia “could develop into war,” as the deadliest fighting between the two nations in years entered its second day.

At least 15 people have been reported killed on the Thai side since the violence erupted on Thursday. In Cambodia, one death has been confirmed, and hundreds of residents have fled their homes in tractor-drawn wagons. Thailand’s Ministry of Health said more than 131,000 people have been evacuated from affected areas.

“The situation has intensified and could develop into war,” the New York Times quoted Thai acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai as saying in a statement to reporters. “For now, it’s just clashes using heavy weaponry.”

The NY Times reported that Thai authorities declared martial law in eight districts along the border with Cambodia, effective immediately. Gunfire and artillery shelling continued throughout the day, sending civilians on both sides scrambling for shelter.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet accused Thailand of reneging on a cease-fire agreement brokered by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. In a statement, PM Manet said the two sides had agreed to halt hostilities at midnight on Thursday, but Thailand reversed its decision just over an hour later.

“The key to resolving the current armed conflict between Thailand and Cambodia is the genuine willingness of the Thai side to accept a cease-fire, which is the first step toward finding further solutions between the two countries,” PM Manet said.

While the United States, China, and Malaysia—current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)—have offered to mediate, Thailand reportedly prefers a bilateral approach, according to a Thai Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

The last major clashes between the two neighbours occurred during a three-year border conflict that ended in 2011, which also resulted in fatalities on both sides.

The latest flare-up began near Prasat Ta Muen Thom, a disputed ancient temple claimed by both countries. Tensions had been rising for two months following a skirmish in late May in which a Cambodian soldier was killed.

Each side has accused the other of initiating the latest violence, and both have expelled the other's ambassadors, dimming prospects for a quick diplomatic resolution.

The United States, which maintains a security treaty with Thailand, issued a statement urging “the immediate cessation of attacks, protection of civilians, and peaceful settlement of disputes.” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, meanwhile, called the violence “distressing and worrying,” during a meeting with the ASEAN Secretary-General in Beijing.

Amid the diplomatic fallout, former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Cambodia’s former Prime Minister Hun Sen exchanged barbed messages on social media. Thaksin claimed Hun Sen “needed to be taught a lesson” by the Thai military, prompting Hun Sen to accuse Thailand of military aggression and inflaming tensions further.

Although both men are no longer in office, their influence remains strong: their respective children currently serve as prime ministers of their countries. However, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thaksin’s daughter, has been suspended from office by Thailand’s Constitutional Court pending a review of a petition for her removal.

Her temporary suspension follows public outrage in June after Hun Sen leaked a private call in which she appeared to take a deferential tone over the border dispute.



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