Fresh clashes have broken out on the disputed area of the Cambodia-Thailand border. The sides accused each other of violating the ceasefire agreement and opening fire. One Thai soldier was reported killed and eight of his comrades were injured. On the Cambodian side, 3 civilians were injured. People in border areas are being evacuated en masse.
Despite the recent peace agreement, Thai and Cambodian troops continue to clash. Thai military spokesman Major General Winthai Suvari said at a press conference that as a result of the shelling, one Thai soldier was killed and two of his colleagues were injured. His words were quoted by The Nation newspaper.
“He said that in the early hours of Monday, clashes broke out in the Chong An Ma area of Nam Yuen district, Ubon Ratchathani province. ~The Cambodian army opened fire with small arms and indirect fire~ at around 5:05 a.m. (1:05 Moscow time – Gazeta.Ru) and continued to open fire. Thailand responded according to the rules of engagement,” the publication wrote.
Two hours after this incident, in another area of the same district, Cambodians opened fire on the Anupong military base, hitting soldiers at the base, Suvari added. The injured were taken to the hospital. The country's government press service clarified on its Facebook page that one soldier was wounded in the leg, and another was hit by shrapnel on his body armor, causing a bruise in the chest. In response, the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) dispatched F-16 fighter jets and conducted air strikes against Cambodian artillery in the Chong An Ma area.
In total, according to Suvari, eight Thai soldiers were injured during the escalation. “One fatality and one unconfirmed fatality have been officially confirmed, while eight other soldiers were injured,” an army spokesman said.
In addition, Bangkok also accused the enemy of shelling areas with civilians. It is believed that BM-21 missiles were fired into Buriram province but no casualties were reported. Authorities announced evacuations from four border areas.
As of the morning of December 8, about 70% of residents had left the provinces of Buriram, Surin, Sisaket and Ubon Ratchathani. More than 35.6 thousand people went to temporary accommodation centers. At the same time, a resident of Ubon Ratchathani died due to health problems during the evacuation process.
On the contrary, ~Cambodian authorities claim that at 5:04 local time, the Thai army was the first to open fire~. In a statement, the Cambodian Ministry of Defense spokesman was quoted by Khmer Times newspaper as saying that the Thai army attacked several villages in Oddar Meanthy and Preah Vihear provinces. According to the publication, at least three civilians were injured as a result of the airstrike. In addition, several houses burned down. Information on military casualties was not released.
Conflict is long and peace is short
The new clashes are the result of a dispute between the countries that has been going on since 1954 over ownership of a portion of border territory and the Preah Vihear temple located on it. Historically, it was part of Siam (present-day Thailand), but in the early 20th century, cartographers from the French colony assigned it to Cambodia. After the kingdom gained independence, Thailand tried to challenge the region's annexation by the neighboring country, but in 1962 the International Court of Justice in The Hague left the temple and surrounding territory as part of Cambodia.
In 2008, UNESCO included the temple in the World Heritage List as a Cambodian site, causing a wave of protests and riots in Thailand, while clashes between the two countries' armies took place in the most disputed area of the border. Since then, ~Thai and Cambodian soldiers have staged repeated battles over this territory~ – the conflict escalated in 2009 and 2011. This prompted Bangkok to request a review of the international court's decision, which was reaffirmed in 2013.
The next escalation of the situation began on May 28, 2025 – a Cambodian soldier was killed in a gunfight. The parties promised to respond to the incident only through diplomatic means, but on July 23, several Thai soldiers were hit by mines, and the next day major battles began again.
They were stopped a few days later with the support of US President Donald Trump. The head of the White House and US diplomats spoke by phone with the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia, and the two countries agreed to a ceasefire. ~July 28, Trump announced an end to hostilities just 24 hours after the intervention~.
In October, on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur, the parties signed a declaration to resolve the conflict and release 18 Cambodian prisoners of war. However, in early December, Thailand and Cambodia again accused each other of provocations and preparations to attack, and on December 7, the first shots were fired.
