As the Thai army informed, during the night clashes Thailand took control of the PHU Makhuea hill on the Thai-Kambodian border. The conflict between these two South Asian neighbors was dangerously exacerbated on Thursday, July 24.
After replacing the fire on the Thai border, the armed forces used fighters against Cambodian positions. Cambodia answered with artillery fire. Phumtham Wechayachai, who was the prime minister of Thailand, warned that the conflict could completely spill into both countries. The genesis of the conflict makes the escalation specter very real.
According to AFP press agency, the number of fatalities on both sides is currently 33 people. In connection with the ongoing fighting, there was information chaos. Some reports are mutually exclusive because the parties are accused of starting aggression. The territorial dispute between the two countries has been going on for over 100 years and concerns, among others claims to the temple of Prasat Preah Vihear (probably from the X -XII century), which has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2008.
In the latest installment of the dispute, the first victims on the Cambodia side occurred in May. According to Meduza, the current round of fighting began with the fact that on July 23 a Thai soldier flew into the air on Cambodian's face and lost his leg. On the same day, Thailand dismissed her ambassador from Phnom Penh and published the ambassador of Cambodia of Bangkok.
On the morning of July 24, a shootout took place on the border. According to Thailand, a branch of Cambodian soldiers tried to break into the country and was shelled.
According to Cambodia, Thai soldiers were the first to attack. Cambodia launched a series of missiles from the Grad rocket launcher, according to Thailand, in a residential district. Thailand used not only artillery, but also aviation. Both sides accuse each other of aggression, provocations and war crimes, including attacks on civil purposes.
On Friday evening, July 25, the Thai Armed Forces introduced martial law in the eight districts of the province of the trail and chanthaburi. They justified this movement with the “persistent threat to national security” on the part of the neighboring country.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, martial law is to facilitate the army to carry out all the necessary operations to maintain peace and order.
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“Unlawful act of aggression”
According to the newspaper “Phnom Penh Post”, citing the Cambodian Ministry of Defense, at least 13 people have died in Cambodia, including eight civilians. Over 70 people were to be wounded, including 50 civilians.
According to the latest government data, 20 fatalities were recorded in Thailand, including 14 civilians. Over 60 people were injured, some were hard.
“Cambodia demands an immediate and unconditional suspension of weapons, as well as a peaceful resolution of the conflict,” he said after the UN Security Council in New York Chhea Keo, Cambodia ambassador at the United Nations.
Valeria Mongelli / Anadol Via Getty Images / Getty Images
A monk near the pain shelter during the escalation of the dispute between Thailand and Cambodia in the province of Surin, Thailand, July 25, 2025.
In turn, the Thailand Ambassador at the UN Cherdchai Chaivaivid called during the United Nations meeting to immediately end warfare by Cambodia to start dialogue. He talked about “unlawful and arbitrary act of aggression.”
Thailand and Cambodia are divided by a border over 800 km long, which was established in colonial times. The governments in Bangkok and Phnom Penh interpret the course of this border differently.
The conflict was created due to discrepancies in maps from the beginning of the 20th century, which marked the border between the French Indochina colony (today's Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam) and the Kingdom of Siam (today's Thailand). In the disputed area there were several ancient Hindu temples in the Dangrek Mountains, including Preah Vihear. This temple has become a symbolic center of conflict.
If the current escalation turns into a full -scale war, Cambodia's prospects seem doubtful. Cambodia has practically no air forces, while Thailand has several dozen American F-16. Thailand is also a much more wealthier country.
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