Cambodia–Thailand: An Urgent Need to Stop the Spiral and Quagmire

Ten days after hostilities resumed on December 7, the armed conflict between Cambodia and Thailand has become bogged down and intensified, turning a long-standing border dispute into a major regional crisis. The fighting, concentrated along the land border but now extending to internal infrastructure, has already killed at least 27 people, including 13 Cambodians, and displaced nearly 800,000 people on both sides.

Cambodian Civilians Trapped in the Crossfire

According to Cambodia’s Ministry of the Interior, the latest wave of attacks since December 7 has killed at least 12 civilians and wounded 74 others, forcing more than 394,000 people to flee their homes in several border provinces. Authorities report 121,372 displaced families, or over 405,000 individuals, mostly women and children now living in temporary camps where access to clean water, sanitation, and healthcare remains limited.

Infrastructure and Cultural Sites Under Fire

Thai strikes have hit civilian areas and key infrastructure, including schools, health centers, government buildings, as well as pagodas and casinos along the border, according to Cambodian authorities and several regional media reports. At Tamone, a national heritage archaeological site, Thai forces are said to have continuously bombarded the temple and surrounding area with aircraft, heavy artillery, and armored vehicles — a symbol of a conflict that now spares no cultural heritage.

New Methods of Warfare: Drones, F-16s, and Toxic Gas

December 15 marked a new phase in the fighting with the use of more sophisticated and controversial weapons. In Military Region 5, near Thmar Da in Pursat province, Cambodia’s Ministry of Defense accuses the Thai army of dropping “significant amounts of toxic gas” by drone over areas already hit by aerial drones, artillery fire, and F-16 air strikes. Further north, around Pouy Samrong and O’Beichoan, repeated aerial bombardments and drone reconnaissance missions reveal a war increasingly fought from the skies.

Two Opposing Narratives, One Battlefield

Bangkok accuses Phnom Penh of repeatedly violating cease-fire agreements, using BM-21-type rockets, and targeting civilian areas inside Thai territory — justifying its own aerial and artillery responses. The Cambodian government, for its part, denounces what it calls an “invasion” and “aggressive territorial war,” claiming its forces are acting defensively in the face of massive strikes against villages, markets, and civilian infrastructure.

Geopolitical Stakes and International Pressure

The conflict has its roots in an old border dispute arising from colonial-era boundary demarcations but now tests the credibility of the ASEAN peace mechanisms. Despite calls for restraint and mediation efforts — including by the United States and Malaysia — the reality on the ground remains one where cease-fires are never fully respected and extremes continue to escalate, threatening the stability of mainland Southeast Asia.

Fear, Exodus, and a Call for Peace

In northwest Cambodian evacuation centers, testimonies describe nights filled with explosions and families fleeing while abandoning their livestock, rice fields, and homes, unsure when or if they will ever return. Local and international organizations are increasing pressure for humanitarian corridors, while young Cambodians and Thais on social media and in civil society call for immediate de-escalation and a return to diplomacy.

A Decisive Turning Point for Phnom Penh and Bangkok

For the Cambodian government, this war is portrayed as a test of national sovereignty and resilience, with the armed forces promising to “defend every inch of territory” despite the Thai military’s superior firepower. On the Thai side, authorities aim to show firmness and control, but they also confront the mounting political, economic, and human costs of a conflict that is beginning to hinder trade, energy, and internal stability. An Urgent Need: Stop the Spiral

As of December 15, 2025, the central question is no longer who fired first, but how to stop a military spiral that daily pushes the line between “incident” and all-out war further outward. As long as artillery and F-16s continue to speak louder than diplomatic channels, Cambodian and Thai civilians will remain hostages of a conflict whose human cost already far outweighs any territorial gain.