New Thailand-Cambodia border fighting shows no sign of stopping
[December 11, 2025]
By JERRY HARMER and JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI
SURIN, Thailand (AP) — Renewed border fighting between Thailand and
Cambodia showed no signs of abating Wednesday, with hundreds of
thousands of displaced people in strained conditions as more flooded
into temporary shelters.
Associated Press reporters on the Thai side of the border heard outgoing
fire.
The fighting triggered by longstanding territorial disputes followed a
skirmish Sunday that wounded two Thai soldiers and derailed a ceasefire
pushed by U.S. President Donald Trump that ended five days of combat in
July.
Trump said he expects to speak by phone with the two leaders on
Thursday, and expressed confidence that he would persuade the two sides,
once again, to stop the fighting.
“I think I can get them to stop fighting. Who else can do that?” Trump
said in an exchange with reporters, in which he also repeated his
exaggerated claim of settling eight wars around the globe since his
return to the White House. “Every once in a while, one will flame up
again and I have to put out that little flame.”
Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has vowed to continue to
fight, and Cambodia’s powerful Senate President Hun Sen promised a
fierce response.
Over a dozen people have been killed in the latest fighting. And about
400,000 people have been evacuated while fighting continues in four
border provinces, Thai military spokesperson Rear Adm. Surasant Kongsiri
said.
Cambodia has evacuated more than 127,000 villagers, its defense ministry
said.
Thailand’s military said casualties include five soldiers killed and
dozens wounded. Cambodia said nine civilians died, including a baby, and
46 others were wounded.
In another sign of tensions, Cambodia withdrew its team from the 33rd
Southeast Asian Games, which began Tuesday in Thailand. Wednesday's
announcement from the National Olympic committee of Cambodia said it
regretted the action, but competitors' families were concerned about
safety.
Trump says he will return sides to peace
The previous ceasefire was brokered by Malaysia and pushed through by
pressure from Trump, who threatened to withhold trade privileges unless
Thailand and Cambodia agreed.
Trump late Tuesday said he would use his sway to end the renewed
fighting.
“Tomorrow I’ll have to make a phone call,” Trump said.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters Wednesday that
Washington had not contacted Thailand concerning a new ceasefire. He did
not seem to rule out negotiations with Cambodia, but said he would not
do so simply at the request of Trump, to whom he first wants to explain
Thailand's position.
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An evacuated elderly woman sits in a tent as she takes refuge in
Batthkoa primary school in Oddar Meanchey province, Cambodia,
Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, after fleeing home following fighting
between Thailand and Cambodia over territorial claims. (AP Photo/Heng
Sinith)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier called on the two sides
to live up to commitments made at an October meeting in Malaysia
that reaffirmed the July ceasefire and called for removing heavy
weapons from the border, coordinating the removal of land mines and
other steps.
The ceasefire was fragile. Both nations carried on a bitter
propaganda war and minor cross-border violence continued. Cambodia
was unhappy that Thailand had not returned 18 soldiers it had
captured when the ceasefire came into effect, and Thailand is angry
that its soldiers patrolling the frontier have been wounded by land
mines it alleges have been newly laid by Cambodia.
Cambodia pummels Thailand with rockets
Thailand has deployed jet fighters to carry out airstrikes on what
it says are military targets. Cambodia has deployed BM-21 rocket
launchers with a range of 30-40 kilometers (19-25 miles).
The Thai army’s northeastern regional command said that as of 3
p.m., Cambodian forces had fired 79 BM-21 salvos with 3,160 rockets,
used artillery 122 times and employed bomb-dropping drones in 63
attacks on Wednesday. It said a hospital in Surin province was
evacuated after rockets hit about 500 meters (yards) away.
The Thai army also said it destroyed a crane atop a hill held by
Cambodia where the centuries-old Preah Vihear temple is located,
because it allegedly held electronic and optical devices used for
military command and control purposes.
The army also announced a 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew in four districts
of the eastern province of Sa Kaeo under a martial law order already
in effect.
Worried evacuees
In a gymnasium in the northeastern Thai city of Surin, around 550
people were waiting out the combat.
Thidarat Homhual, a 37-year-old farmer, said her mind is on the
family's cows, ducks, four dogs and nine cats left to fend for
themselves.
“We are behind the front line. We can live like this. It’s OK,” she
said. “But I want it to be over.”
___
Sopheng Cheang in Srei Snam, Cambodia, Wasamon Audjarint in Bangkok
and Matthew Lee, Aamer Madhani and Lou Kesten in Washington
contributed to this report.
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