Violent confrontations along the Thailand-Cambodia border have entered their third day, leaving at least 33 people dead and displacing more than 168,000 residents. The situation remains tense, with reports of fresh fighting emerging far from the initial conflict zones.
As of Saturday, Cambodian officials confirmed 12 additional fatalities, bringing their national death toll to 13. Thai authorities also reported the death of another soldier, raising Thailand’s toll to 20, most of whom were civilians.
New clashes were reported early Saturday in areas roughly 100 kilometers from the original conflict zones, including Thailand’s coastal Trat Province and Cambodia’s Pursat Province, according to statements from both governments.
Amid growing international concern, the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on Friday in New York, urging both nations to exercise restraint and find a peaceful solution. A council diplomat, speaking anonymously, confirmed that the call for de-escalation was unanimous.
Malaysia, the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which counts both Thailand and Cambodia among its members, also appealed for a halt to the violence and offered to mediate.
Cambodia’s Ministry of Defense accused Thailand of initiating an “intentional, unprovoked, and illegal military assault.” In response, Thailand’s acting Prime Minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, claimed that Thai forces had shown “maximum restraint” despite what he described as continuous provocations from Phnom Penh.
The human toll of the conflict is growing rapidly. According to Cambodian Information Minister Neth Pheaktra, over 10,800 Cambodian families—more than 37,000 people—have been evacuated from three provinces near the border. Thai officials reported that approximately 131,000 people had been forced to leave their homes in affected villages.
Many communities in Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey Province are now deserted. Residents were seen evacuating with personal belongings on makeshift tractors or seeking refuge in underground shelters made from wood, tarps, and metal sheets. Some gathered at a remote Buddhist temple, where temporary tents were set up beneath the trees.
Skirmishes along the 800-kilometer (500-mile) border are not new. The last significant conflict in 2011 resulted in 20 deaths. Tensions reignited in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed, followed by a land mine explosion that injured five Thai soldiers on Wednesday. This led to a severe diplomatic fallout, with Thailand shutting its border and expelling Cambodia’s ambassador.
Both countries have since deployed additional troops to the region. Fighting intensified on Friday, with the Thai military reporting engagements at several points along the border, including near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple, a site claimed by both sides.
