❓WHAT HAPPENED: A border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia escalated into intense fighting, prompting warnings of full-scale war from Thailand’s acting Prime Minister.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, Cambodian forces, and the Thai military.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The clashes occurred in July 2025, along the Thailand-Cambodia border.
💬KEY QUOTE: “We have tried to compromise as we are neighbors, but we have now instructed the Thai military to act immediately,” said Wechayachai.
🎯IMPACT: Over 130,000 people displaced, numerous casualties, and international calls for a ceasefire.
Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has issued a stark warning regarding the potential for recent cross-border clashes with Cambodia to escalate into a full-scale war. The conflict, which has already forced the displacement of more than 130,000 individuals, is seeing a second day of deadly exchanges between the two nations.
Notably, Thailand, according to the State Department, is the United States’ “only treaty partner in mainland Southeast Asia, a treaty ally since 1954, and a major non-NATO ally since 2003.”
Conversely, China maintains close economic and political ties with Cambodia—where three to five percent of the population is estimated to be Chinese. China also backed Cambodia in its conflict with Vietnam between 1978 and 1989, and footage from the current conflict shows Cambodian combatants armed with recently produced Chinese military weapons.
A long-standing border dispute between the two countries erupted into violent clashes involving jets, artillery, tanks, and ground troops. Martial law has been declared in Thai border regions. In response to the crisis, the United Nations (UN) Security Council is scheduled to convene for an emergency meeting.
Casualties have been reported on both sides, with Thailand’s health ministry confirming at least 15 fatalities and 46 injuries. Cambodia reported the death of a 70-year-old civilian and five others wounded due to artillery strikes.
Prime Minister Wechayachai said, “We have tried to compromise as we are neighbors, but we have now instructed the Thai military to act immediately in case of urgency,” adding: “If the situation escalates, it could develop into war, though for now, it remains limited to clashes.”
International leaders have called for a ceasefire and dialogue. However, fighting is ongoing in multiple areas, with both countries blaming each other for initiating the conflict. The United States, France, the European Union (EU), and China have all expressed concern and urged for a resolution through dialogue.
NEW 🚨 Cambodian military fires multiple rockets inside Thailand
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) July 25, 2025
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