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The deadliest conflict between the two nations in 14 years, now in its third day, extended to provinces about 200 miles south of where clashes first began.
By Sui-Lee Wee
Reporting from Surin Province, in Thailand, near its disputed border with Cambodia
July 26, 2025, 3:06 a.m. ET
Thai and Cambodian forces attacked each other in the Thai province of Trat on Saturday, creating a new front in the battle over their shared border and diminishing hopes of an early cease-fire as the armed fight entered a third day.
At least 32 people have died in the conflict, which began on Thursday with an eruption of violence near Prasat Ta Muen Thom, an ancient temple claimed by both nations. The clash began after two months of tension over contested territory.
In Thailand, at least 13 civilians and six soldiers have been killed. In Cambodia, there have been at least 13 deaths, including five soldiers. It is the deadliest conflict between the two decades-long adversaries in 14 years.
Thai authorities said that Cambodian troops expanded their attack zone to the area of Ban Chamrak in Trat Province, part of southeastern Thailand, at 5:10 a.m. on Saturday. The Thai naval forces, who aid in land defense in that part of the country, said that within half an hour they had succeeded in pushing Cambodian forces back.
Cambodia said it was Thai troops who expanded the conflict, firing into several areas including Cambodia’s Pursat Province, which borders Trat, according to Maly Socheata, a spokeswoman for Cambodia’s defense ministry. The Pursat and Trat provinces are about 200 miles south of where the conflict began on Thursday.
Ms. Maly Socheata, who was addressing reporters at a news conference, did not take questions, so it was not possible to confirm a Thai statement from Friday saying that the Thai forces had killed approximately 100 Cambodian soldiers.
Trat, which borders the Gulf of Thailand and the Pacific Ocean, is a popular tourist destination, famed for its numerous islands with white-sand beaches and coral reefs. The fighting is occurring about a 90-minute drive from the ferry terminal where tourists board boats.
The Saturday attack came a day after representatives of Cambodia and Thailand spoke at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, with each side accusing the other of escalating the violence. Thailand said Cambodia had launched “armed attacks” on its civilians, while Cambodia said that Thailand’s deployment of F-16 jets and tanks, and its use of cluster munitions and artillery, were examples of aggression.
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Both sides appealed to other countries to “not look away,” as they spoke of the suffering inflicted on their citizens. More than 131,000 people in Thailand have evacuated from areas along the border, according to the country’s health ministry. In Cambodia, 35,000 people have fled their homes.
“If this conflict escalates, the peace and stability of the entire Southeast Asian region will be at stake,” said Chhea Keo, Cambodia’s ambassador to the United Nations.
The United States, China and Malaysia, which is the current chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, have offered to facilitate talks. But Bangkok wants to negotiate directly.
Malaysia has tried to broker a cease-fire, which Cambodia says must be “swift and unconditional.” Thailand said it agreed “in principle” to the deal but accused Cambodia of continuing its “indiscriminate attacks on Thai territory.”
“Any cease-fire must be based on appropriate on-the-ground conditions,” a statement from Thailand’s foreign ministry said. “Cambodia’s actions demonstrate a lack of good faith and continue to place civilians in danger.”
On Saturday morning, Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Thai prime minister and an influential player in Thai politics, visited evacuees at a shelter in Ubon Ratchathani Province, where he planned to distribute lunch boxes. He turned 76 on Saturday.
A public rift between Mr. Thaksin and his longtime friend Hun Sen, Cambodia’s de facto leader, has fueled their countries’ conflict. On Friday, Mr. Thaksin said that many nations had offered to mediate but that he wanted to “let the Thai military do their duty to teach Hun Sen a lesson about his cunning ways first.”
Mr. Hun Sen fired back at Mr. Thaksin on Facebook while referring to himself in the third person: “Now, under the pretext of taking revenge on Hun Sen, he is resorting to war, the ultimate consequence of which will be the suffering of the people.”
Sun Narin contributed reporting from Kralanh, in Cambodia, and Phuriphat Dejsuphong from Surin, in Thailand.
Sui-Lee Wee is the Southeast Asia bureau chief for The Times, overseeing coverage of 11 countries in the region.
