Thailand’s military launched a fresh offensive against Cambodia to “reclaim sovereign territory,” rejecting outside mediation even as Phnom Penh shut all border crossings with its northern neighbor. The violence stems from a long-standing dispute over a colonial-era boundary along their roughly 800km shared frontier and has killed at least 25 soldiers and civilians while displacing more than half a million people on both sides.
Thai state and military sources said the navy conducted operations in coastal Trat province early on Saturday. Royal Thai Navy Rear Admiral Parach Rattanachaiyapan told Matichon Online the force moved to retake territory, describing the action as self-defence intended to protect national sovereignty. The military said it successfully seized and held the area and expelled opposing forces; Thai PBS reported troops had raised the national flag after driving out enemy positions.
Thailand’s army, navy and air force were reported to be active along the border, according to TV3 Morning News. Cambodia had not issued an immediate military statement, but Cambodian social media and local reports described predawn shelling around Thmar Da in Pursat province, the region Thailand said it had targeted.
Late Saturday, Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior announced a full suspension of entry and exit at all Cambodia–Thailand border crossings, effective immediately and until further notice, underscoring how ties between the neighbors have deteriorated despite international pressure to halt the fighting.
Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump said he had secured agreement from both countries on a new ceasefire, but Thai officials denied agreeing to a pause. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the military would continue operations on the disputed frontier, while Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said some of Mr Trump’s comments did not accurately reflect conditions on the ground. Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence accused Thai jets of carrying out air strikes on Saturday morning. A spokesman for the US president later urged all parties to honor commitments made in prior agreements and said Washington would hold actors accountable to stop the violence and seek a durable peace.
The recent escalation follows a December 7 skirmish that wounded two Thai soldiers and unraveled a previous ceasefire. A truce negotiated in July — brokered by Malaysia and pushed by the US president — had paused five days of intense fighting; that agreement was formalized at a regional meeting in October. Analysts warn the unresolved border demarcation and repeated clashes could continue to inflame the humanitarian toll.
Civilians have borne the brunt of the crisis. Photographs and reports show displaced Thai villagers resting at an evacuation center in Si Sa Ket province, while refugees have gathered at temporary camps in Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey province as clashes persist.