The escalation of the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia. What is known

On Monday, December 8, armed clashes broke out on the border of Thailand and Cambodia. At least one Thai soldier was killed. In response, Thailand launched airstrikes on the territory of Cambodia. Read more about the incident in the Izvestia article.

The escalation of the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia — what happened

The situation on the border of the two countries escalated on December 7. According to the Khaosod newspaper, the Cambodian military opened fire on soldiers of the Thai 13th Infantry battalion. Both sides used fire support.

On the night of December 8, clashes continued in the border regions. According to Reuters, at least one Thai soldier was killed and eight others were injured. After that, the Royal Thai Army announced the deployment of aircraft to attack military installations in Cambodia. It was also reported that Cambodia fired rockets at civilian homes in Thailand. In Sakeo Province, four hospitals in border areas were closed.

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After the incident at the border, there is a dead man and injured

Both sides began evacuating the border areas. The Thai army called on residents of the border areas of four provinces to proceed to evacuation centers. According to Reuters, 385 thousand civilians are planned to be withdrawn from the combat zone. 1,100 families have also been evacuated in the Cambodian province of Oddarmeantjay.

The conflict on the border of Thailand and Cambodia — the positions of the parties

Both sides of the conflict accuse each other of violating the ceasefire. According to the press secretary of the Ministry of Defense of Cambodia, Lieutenant General Mali Socheat, the Thai armed forces were the first to show aggression. In turn, Thai Major General Vintai Suvari said that the Cambodian side deployed troops in Sisaket province and attacked the Thai military, who were repairing the road.

The Cambodian Ministry of Defense said that after several days of provocations, the Thai side launched strikes in two places on the border, but the Cambodian military did not respond to them. Three Cambodian civilians were injured. Former Prime Minister Hun Sen also called on the military to show restraint against the Thai aggressors.

"The red line of response has already been established. I urge commanders at all levels to train all officers and soldiers accordingly," he said.

Is the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia dangerous for Russian tourists

As the Russian Union of Travel Industry (PCT) told reporters, the tension between Thailand and Cambodia does not pose a danger to travelers from the Russian Federation so far. The organization noted that the border areas, including Surin, Sisaket, Buriram and Ubon Ratchathani are far from popular resorts and are not the main tourist areas.

At the same time, Russian Ambassador to Thailand Evgeny Tomikhin recommended that Russian tourists refrain from traveling to the border areas of Thailand and Cambodia.

"It is necessary to refrain from traveling to the relevant regions, monitor government communications, and have the embassy's phone number with you when you are there. So far, we have not received any appeals from Russian citizens in connection with what is happening," TASS quoted him as saying.

The causes of the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia

There has been a dispute between Thailand and Cambodia for more than a century about the ownership of some border territories. The border between the two countries was established by France in 1907, when Cambodia was its colony. Thailand subsequently challenged this demarcation. In 2000, Thailand and Cambodia established a Joint Border Commission to resolve the issue, but no final agreement has been reached.

In July 2025, an armed conflict broke out on the border of Thailand and Cambodia, resulting in dozens of deaths. In October, at the ASEAN summit, the parties signed a peace agreement. The ceremony was attended by US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. According to the American leader, cooperation between the two countries can save millions of lives.

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However, on November 10, Thai Prime Minister Anuthin Chanvirakul announced the suspension of the peace agreement with Cambodia. The reason for this was an incident on the border — two Thai soldiers were injured by a landmine. After that, relations between Thailand and Cambodia began to deteriorate again.

According to Elena Fomicheva, senior researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences and chief specialist on Thailand in Russia, the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia is caused by deep and unresolved contradictions between these countries. In a conversation with Izvestia, she noted that disagreements over the border are complicated by the economic interests of states.

"While the key issue of border demarcation has not been resolved, it remains possible to use the conflict to achieve not only territorial, but also political and economic goals. Against the background of the escalation, the parties may try to solve other problems. Due to the lack of progress, the potential for tension remains," the expert noted.

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