Thailand’s military launched a new offensive against Cambodia to “reclaim sovereign territory”, rejecting mediation efforts including from US President Donald Trump, as violence continued and Phnom Penh shut all crossings with its northern neighbour.
The fighting, rooted in a long-running dispute over colonial-era demarcation of their roughly 800km shared border, has killed at least 25 soldiers and civilians and displaced more than half a million people on both sides.
The newspaper Matichon Online quoted Royal Thai Navy Rear Admiral Parach Rattanachaiyapan saying the navy “launched a military operation to reclaim Thai sovereign territory” in an area of coastal Trat province. “The operation began in the early morning hours with heavy clashes, conducted under the principles of self-defence according to international law and the preservation of national sovereignty,” he told the paper. The Thai military said it had “successfully controlled and reclaimed the area, expelling all opposing forces”. Thai PBS reported the military “planted the Thai national flag” after “driving out all opposing forces”.
Thailand’s TV3 Morning News quoted the military as saying the army, navy and air force were continuing operations along the border. There were no immediate casualty figures from the latest incident and the Cambodian military had not issued a statement. Cambodian social media, however, reported shelling before dawn around Thmar Da in Pursat province, the area where Thailand said it had operated.
Late on Saturday Cambodia announced it was shutting all border crossings with Thailand. “The Royal Government of Cambodia has decided to fully suspend all entry and exit movements at all Cambodia-Thailand border crossings, effective immediately and until further notice,” the country’s Ministry of Interior said. The closure underscored frayed ties despite international pressure to secure peace.
Earlier on Saturday, Trump said he had won agreement from both countries on a new ceasefire, but Thai officials said they had not agreed to pause fighting. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul pledged the military would continue operations on the disputed border, and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said some of Trump’s remarks did not “reflect an accurate understanding of the situation” on the ground. Cambodia has not directly confirmed Trump’s ceasefire claim; its Ministry of National Defence said Thai jets carried out air strikes on Saturday morning.
The most recent large-scale clashes were sparked by a December 7 skirmish that wounded two Thai soldiers, derailing a ceasefire promoted by Trump that had ended five days of combat in July. The July ceasefire had been brokered by Malaysia under pressure from Trump, who threatened to withhold trade privileges unless Thailand and Cambodia agreed; it was formalised in October at a regional meeting attended by Trump. The US president has cited his role in the talks as he lobbies for a Nobel Peace Prize. A spokesman for Trump said late Saturday: “The President expects all parties to fully honor the commitments they have made in signing these agreements, and he will hold anyone accountable as necessary to stop the killing and ensure durable peace.”
The fighting has forced many to flee: displaced Thai villagers were pictured resting at an evacuation centre in Si Sa Ket province, and displaced people gathered at temporary camps in Banteay Meanchey province in Cambodia as clashes continued.