A fragile ceasefire between the Southeast Asian neighbours has collapsed, with Thailand deploying fighter jets in response to shelling that killed one of its soldiers.
Thailand sent warplanes to strike Cambodian positions along their disputed border on Monday (December 8), a dramatic escalation that came after a Thai soldier was killed by incoming fire. Four other soldiers were wounded in the exchange. The violence has torn apart a peace deal that US President Donald Trump helped broker just months ago.
The Royal Thai Army confirmed it used aircraft to hit “military targets” in several locations, aiming to shut down what it described as attacks by Cambodian forces. Major General Winthai Suvaree, a military spokesperson, said Cambodian troops fired shells and rockets into the Chong Bok area of Ubon Ratchathani province early Monday morning, killing one soldier and wounding others.
Thai forces fired back before deciding to bring in airstrikes. According to the army, Cambodian units targeted the Anupong Base with artillery and mortar fire.
But Phnom Penh tells a completely different story. Cambodia’s Defence Ministry insists Thailand started it, accusing Thai forces of launching “brutal and inhumane” attacks on Cambodian troops in Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey provinces first, around 5:00 am local time. A Cambodian spokesperson said their forces held their fire initially and didn’t retaliate.
“The target was at Cambodia’s arms supporting positions… because those targets had used artillery to attack the Thai side,” Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree said, defending the decision to use air power.
Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen didn’t mince words, calling the Thai military “aggressors” trying to start a war. “The red line for responding has already been set. I urge commanders at all levels to educate all officers and soldiers accordingly,” he wrote on social media.
At the heart of this conflict is an old territorial dispute. Parts of the 800km border have never been properly marked, particularly around ancient temples like Preah Vihear and Ta Muen Thom. These sites have been powder kegs for decades, with nationalist feelings running high on both sides.
This latest violence comes after a five-day clash in July 2025 that left dozens dead. That fighting stopped temporarily thanks to a US-brokered ceasefire in October, but tensions started building again in early November after Thai troops were hurt by landmines in the contested zone.
Right now, things are dangerously unstable. Both countries are pointing fingers, each accusing the other of breaking the peace agreement. More than 35,000 Thai civilians have already been moved away from the border, and schools in affected Cambodian provinces have shut their doors. The ceasefire, for all practical purposes, is dead, and diplomatic relations are about to get a lot more complicated.
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