In a dramatic escalation of a simmering dispute, Thailand launched airstrikes against Cambodia on December 8, 2025, shattering a fragile peace along their contested border and displacing tens of thousands of residents. The violence, which resulted in the deaths of at least one Thai soldier and four Cambodian civilians, marks the most severe confrontation since a brief but deadly conflict in July and throws into question the future of a high-profile ceasefire agreement brokered just months earlier by U.S. President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
For those living along the border, the renewed fighting was both terrifying and all too familiar. According to BBC, thousands of people were forced to flee their homes in search of safety, with the Thai army reporting that more than 50,000 had sought shelter and Cambodian officials estimating that tens of thousands more were displaced from villages in Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear provinces. The crackle of gunfire and the roar of fighter jets sent a clear message: the uneasy calm that had prevailed since October was over.
The origins of the latest violence are as tangled as the border itself. Both sides accuse the other of reigniting hostilities in the early hours of December 8. Thai military officials claimed Cambodian forces attacked Thai troops in Sisaket province late on December 7, injuring two soldiers, and then launched further attacks that killed one Thai soldier and wounded eight more. As a result, the Royal Thai Army said it deployed aircraft to strike Cambodian military targets in several areas, aiming to "suppress Cambodian supporting fire attacks" (CNN).
But Cambodian officials tell a different story. Defense Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata insisted that it was Thai forces who attacked first, targeting Cambodian troops in Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey provinces. "Cambodia urges that Thailand immediately stop all hostile activities that threaten peace and stability in the region," she said, denying that Cambodia had retaliated during the initial attacks (AP). Cambodia’s Information Minister Neth Pheaktra reported that four Cambodian civilians were killed and at least nine injured by Thai fire, a claim echoed across multiple news outlets.
The violence comes as a bitter blow to efforts at reconciliation. After July’s five-day war, which killed dozens and displaced nearly 200,000 people, international mediators stepped in. U.S. President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim brokered a ceasefire, with a formal agreement signed in Kuala Lumpur in October 2025—a ceremony attended by both leaders and hailed as a diplomatic victory. Yet, as Reuters notes, the ink was barely dry before cracks began to show. In mid-November, Thailand suspended implementation of the agreement after several of its soldiers were injured by landmines it claimed were laid by Cambodia, reigniting old grievances and deepening mutual distrust.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul of Thailand addressed the nation in a televised speech, striking a tone of reluctant resolve. "Thailand has never wished for violence. I’d like to reiterate that Thailand has never initiated a fight or an invasion, but will never tolerate a violation of its sovereignty," he said. He pledged that military operations would continue "as necessary to defend the country and protect public safety" (DW). Meanwhile, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet called for national unity, urging citizens and the armed forces to "unite for the cause of the nation and the homeland during this difficult period." Former Prime Minister Hun Sen, still an influential figure, blamed Thai "invaders" for provoking Cambodian retaliation (BBC).
On the ground, the toll was immediate and devastating. Cambodian officials accused Thailand of burning homes and causing injuries in border villages, prompting a mass exodus of civilians. "At least four Cambodian civilians were killed in the Thai attacks in the border provinces of Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear," Neth Pheaktra said, adding that 10 others were wounded (AFP). The Thai military, for its part, reported no civilian casualties on its side but confirmed the death of one soldier and injuries to several others. Evacuations began on December 7, with about 70% of residents in affected Thai border towns moved to safer areas by the next day (CNN).
The border dispute itself is rooted in history—and in maps. The two countries share a 500-mile (800-kilometer) frontier, much of it running through remote, sparsely populated regions. The most contentious sections stem from a 1907 map drawn by French colonial authorities, which Thailand has long disputed. The International Court of Justice awarded the historic Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia in 1962, but the ruling did little to resolve competing claims over adjacent land. Decades of mistrust, nationalist sentiment, and sporadic violence have kept the issue alive, with both sides trading accusations and, occasionally, artillery fire.
International reaction to the latest fighting has been swift but cautious. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed "deep concern" and called for restraint, warning that "the renewed fighting risks unravelling the careful work that has gone into stabilising relations between the two neighbours." He pledged Malaysia’s support for any steps that could restore calm and avert further incidents, emphasizing that "our region cannot afford to see long-standing disputes slip into cycles of confrontation" (Reuters).
For the United States, the collapse of the ceasefire is an unwelcome setback. The October agreement was touted by President Trump as proof of his ability to resolve international conflicts, but the rapid unraveling of the deal highlights the limits of external mediation when local grievances run deep. Both Thailand and Cambodia are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a bloc that has struggled to address security crises among its members.
Despite calls for peace, the path forward remains uncertain. The ceasefire agreement, while halting open hostilities for a time, never addressed the underlying issues of border demarcation and historical resentment. As BBC correspondent Jonathan Head observed, "there remains a high level of mistrust between both sides and historical differences remain unresolved." The repeated cycles of violence and uneasy truces have left border communities in a constant state of anxiety, never knowing when the next round of fighting might force them from their homes.
As the dust settles, the urgent task for leaders on both sides—and for the wider region—will be to find a way to break the cycle of accusation and retaliation. Until then, the residents of the borderlands will continue to live with the threat of war hanging over their heads, hoping that this time, peace will last longer than a few short months.
