More than 120,000 people have fled their homes as the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia intensifies along their shared border. The death toll has reached 16 people in these border clashes that continue to escalate.
Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health reports that civilians bore the brunt of casualties. Two children were among those killed, and 45 people suffered injuries in the violence. Thai officials confirm that 131,456 residents have moved to safer locations away from the border areas. The crisis has hit four Thai border provinces hard, and more than 58,000 people now live in temporary shelters. Thai authorities have confirmed that 13 civilians and one soldier lost their lives, while Cambodia reports a monk’s death and five people wounded from Thai airstrikes.
Thailand and Cambodia exchange deadly fire at border
Image Source: The Guardian
The fighting between Thailand and Cambodia grew more intense on Friday. What started as clashes in six locations on Thursday spread to 12 spots along their disputed border. Both sides exchanged artillery fire and rocket attacks as the conflict broke out before dawn on Friday.
Thailand launched a rare air operation with F-16 fighter jets to strike Cambodian military targets. Cambodia retaliated by using Russian-made BM-21 rocket systems that hit Thai schools and hospitals.
The situation got worse after the first clash near Prasat Ta Muen Thom, an ancient temple both countries claim as their own. Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai warned that the confrontation “could escalate into a state of war”.
Each country blamed the other for starting the fight. Thailand said Cambodia fired first at civilian areas. Cambodia denounced what it called Thailand’s “reckless and brutal military aggression”.
The conflict forced several hospitals near Thailand’s border to shut down fully or partially due to safety concerns. Cambodia’s landmine authority also accused Thailand of using cluster munitions in border areas, which made tensions between the neighbors even worse.
The relationship between both countries hit rock bottom as they recalled their ambassadors and reduced diplomatic ties to their lowest level.
Mass evacuations displace over 100,000 civilians
The number of displaced civilians at the Thailand-Cambodia border keeps rising. The Thai ministry of health says 138,013 civilians and 428 hospital patients have left border regions since Thursday. More than 300 evacuation centers now operate throughout Thailand to house people escaping the conflict.
“I’m worried about my children,” said Suphap Wongwai, who found shelter in Surin province. “My children are scared and crying”. Evacuees in Thai border provinces now rest on floor mats inside university gymnasiums and schools while authorities give out meals, food, and bottled water.
Cambodia faces similar challenges. The national government hasn’t released official numbers yet, but local officials in Oddar Meanchey province say about 4,000 people have left their border villages. The actual number might be much higher – the Khmer Times reports about 20,000 residents have moved away from Cambodia’s northern border.
“I live very close to the border. We are scared because they began shooting again at about 6:00 a.m.,” said Pro Bak, 41, who took his wife and children to a Buddhist temple for safety. “I don’t know when we could return home”.
People on both sides have built temporary shelters. Some Cambodian residents dug underground bunkers and covered them with wood and tarpaulin to protect themselves from shelling. “So that I can return to my home and work on the farm, I plead with both governments to negotiate a settlement,” said 74-year-old evacuee Veng Chin.
Colonial-era maps fuel century-old border dispute
Image Source: Nation Thailand
The Thailand-Cambodia conflict dates back to 1907. That year, the French colony of Cambodia and the Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) signed a treaty to mark their 500-mile border. This agreement created a lasting problem that exists today – the treaty’s map didn’t match its text, particularly regarding the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple.
The 1904 agreement stated that the border would follow the Dângrêk Mountains’ natural watershed line. The 1907 map drawn by French surveyors ignored this principle and placed Preah Vihear within Cambodia’s territory.
The temple soon became a symbol of nationalist tensions. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in Cambodia’s favor in 1962. The court found that Thailand had accepted the French map without objection for decades. The ruling only covered the temple itself, not the surrounding land, which left disputed territory unresolved.
The conflict flared up again in 2008 after Cambodia applied for UNESCO World Heritage status for Preah Vihear. Military forces built up along the border. This led to deadly clashes between 2008-2011 that claimed about 20 lives.
The ICJ confirmed Cambodia’s ownership again in 2013, but Thailand still disputes the surrounding areas. The current conflict stems from these unresolved colonial-era boundaries. Both nations hold deep historical grievances over what they see as territorial injustices.
The Thailand-Cambodia border conflict shows how old land disputes can explode into modern warfare that destroys lives. People have left their homes, businesses, and farms as violence spreads across the disputed border region. The healthcare system has broken down, and many hospitals have shut their doors because they’re not safe anymore.
Without doubt, more people die as each day passes. The death toll has reached sixteen, including innocent civilians and children, which shows how this war spares no one. The situation has gotten worse as both countries have pulled their ambassadors out and taken harder stances against each other.
This crisis started from mapping mistakes made during colonial times over a hundred years ago. Even after the International Court of Justice made its decisions, questions about who owns what land remain unsolved, especially when you have important cultural sites like Preah Vihear temple. These ongoing fights show how colonial-era decisions still affect Southeast Asia’s politics today.
Thailand and Cambodia’s military actions have reached a dangerous new level. Thailand has sent F-16 fighter jets while Cambodia has deployed BM-21 rocket systems, which shows this is way beyond typical border fights. Reports about cluster munitions make this volatile situation even more dangerous.
Regular people suffer the most in this chaos. We see families cramped in temporary shelters, old villagers begging for peace, and children weeping in evacuation centers – these stories show what this conflict really costs. If both governments don’t choose talking over fighting, thousands more civilians will face long-term displacement, money problems, and constant danger from this fierce land dispute.