By Anthony Iafrate
Thailand unleashed air strikes along its border with Cambodia early Monday, just six weeks after the two countries signed a peace agreement overseen by President Donald Trump aimed at settling their decades-long border dispute.
Thailand carried out the attacks following border skirmishes with Cambodia which left one Thai soldier dead, Bloomberg reported. Both countries accused the other of starting the heavy weapons fire over the weekend, according to multiple outlets.
In late October 2025, Trump helped secure the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords between the two southeast Asian nations. An Oct. 26 White House fact sheet called the deal a “pivotal agreement to establish border observer teams, a critical step in solidifying long-term peace and fostering mutual trust between the two countries.” (RELATED: Trump Explains Why He Might Not Make Trade Deals With Thailand And Cambodia)
Cambodian soldiers (R) ride their motorbike as local residents evacuate following clashes along the Cambodia-Thailand border in Preah Vihear province on December 8, 2025. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)
Thai Maj. Gen. Winthai Suvaree specifically cited the death of his army’s soldier in the line of duty when justifying the airstrikes.
“The target was at Cambodia’s arms supporting positions in the area of Chong An Ma Pass, because those targets had used artilleries and mortar launchers to attack the Thai side at Anupong Base, resulting in one soldier killed and two soldiers injured,” Suvaree said in a statement reported by CNN.
The strikes were “were executed with caution, targeting only military infrastructure, weapons depots, command centers, and logistical routes assessed as direct threats,” the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) said in a Monday press release.
“Post strike assessments were carried out to ensure compliance with international standards governing the right of self-defence under the UN [United Nations] Charter, as well as the principles of necessity and proportionality,” the RTAF’s release continues.
Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence, however, rejected the Thai military’s claims, labeling it as “fake news” in a post to X.
“The statement published by the official page of the Royal Thai Army, as well as by several Thai media outlets, alleging that Cambodia initiated the attack using heavy and destructive weapons and equipment along the Cambodia-Thailand border, is false information,” the post stated. “In fact, the Thai military forces launched the attack on the Cambodian forces.”
“Standing on the spirit of respecting all previous agreements and resolving conflicts peacefully according to international law, Cambodia did not retaliate at all during the two assaults and continues to monitor the situation vigilantly and with utmost caution,” the Ministry of National Defence’s post continues.
Thailand and Cambodia’s ongoing border dispute dates back to at least the 1950s. France, which drew the land border between the two nations, controlled Cambodia until 1953. Thailand, meanwhile, was always an independent nation and has the distinction of being the only southeast Asian country to have never been a European colony.
