On July 24, 2025, troops from Thailand and Cambodia faced off near the disputed Ta Muen Thom temple, along their shared border, killing at least 12 Thais, the vast majority of whom were civilians, and injuring many more. Thailand’s F-16 jets quickly escalated the conflict, striking Cambodian military sites with air dominated assertiveness as Cambodia responded with artillery and rockets, including BM-21s, deployed into Thai territory. Both sides blamed each other for initiating violence in the recent clashes.
Thai officials claimed Cambodian surveillance drones were operated near the temple location while citing possible Cambodian landmine use. Cambodian officials also claimed Thai troops erected temporary observation signals to start the skirmish by trespassing toward the temple site, thus vying for repository or positional advantage. Current tensions stem from a border dispute dating back more than a century that became even more complicated following the UNESCO listing of the temple in 2008. After the May death of a Cambodian soldier and recent Cambodian landmine incidents, border tensions escalated, and Thailand abruptly closed all border crossings, evacuating 40,000 civilians; Cambodia downgraded diplomats and prattled accusations of excessive force against Thailand. Diplomatic claims to rule out armed skirmishes remain tenuous since regional leadership called for the cessation of hostilities in the public domain, where intermittent reports of fighting continued. Serious and weak leaders can complicate resolution efforts as well.
