Clashes between Thailand and Cambodia take old dispute to new level
This attack came as part of a particularly violent surge in tensions along the 250-kilometer border between the Thai provinces of Surin and Ubon Ratchathani. Cambodian rockets struck 8 different locations on Thursday: a hospital parking lot that was evacuated before the impact, several villages, and even an evacuation center. In total, 15 Thai people were killed, 14 of whom were civilians. That same day, Bangkok retaliated by launching three rounds of air strikes with F-16 fighter jets on Cambodian military positions. Cambodia reported that one civilian had been killed, but did not specify if there had been any military casualties.
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AFP
2 days ago
- AFP
Photo of US aircraft dropping fire retardant falsely linked to Thailand-Cambodia conflict
"Thailand has used poisonous smoke weapon against Cambodia," reads the Khmer-language caption of a Facebook image shared on the verified page of Cambodian Secretary of State Vengsrun Kuoch on July 28, 2025. The image, which was shared more than 6,300 times, shows what appears to be pink smoke being dropped from an aircraft over a hilly area. A Thai flag is superimposed over the image with text reading, "Thai troops use poison gas to kill Cambodian civilians". Image Screenshot of the false Facebook post captured on July 29, 2025, with a red X added by AFP The same image was also shared thousands of times across social media before Thailand and Cambodia agreed to an unconditional ceasefire to end their bloodiest military clashes in more than a decade (archived link). The fighting, over a smattering of ancient temples in disputed zones along their 800-kilometre (500-mile) border, has killed at least 42 people and displaced more than 300,000. Prior to the peace talks, Cambodia's defence ministry accused the Thai air force of deploying "poison gas" during the fighting -- an accusation Thailand's foreign affairs ministry rejected as "baseless" (archived here and here). The image circulating online does not show a Thai air force jet using a chemical weapon. A reverse image search on Google led to the same photo published on January 11 in a report by the Reuters news agency about efforts to put out the Palisades fire, the largest conflagration during the Los Angeles wildfires (archived link). The fires around the United States' second-largest city burned for three weeks, killing at least 30 people and forcing thousands of residents to evacuate their homes (archived link). The photo is captioned: "An air tanker drops fire retardant at the Palisades Fire, as seen from Woodland Hills, January 11. REUTERS/Ringo Chiu." Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared image (left) and the Reuters photo (right) According to a report by Canadian broadcaster CBC, the fire retardant -- a pink powder -- is dropped by planes ahead of the fire's path to slow the flames and allow time to build fire lines (archived link). Further keyword searches based on the plane's livery seen in the Reuters photo found the aircraft belongs to 10 Tanker, a company that specialises in dropping fire retardant (archived link). AFP has also debunked other misinformation about the Thailand-Cambodia conflict.
LeMonde
2 days ago
- LeMonde
Thailand accuses Cambodia of violating ceasefire, Phnom Penh denies any firing
Thailand's army accused Cambodia on Tuesday, July 29, of violating an hours-old truce, saying clashes continued despite a deal meant to end the bloody fighting that engulfed their jungle-clad frontier. Following peace talks in Malaysia on Monday, both sides agreed an unconditional ceasefire would start at midnight to end fighting over a smattering of ancient temples in disputed zones along their 800-kilometer border. "At the time the agreement took effect, the Thai side detected that Cambodian forces had launched armed attacks into several areas within Thai territory," said Thai army spokesman Winthai Suwaree. "This constitutes a deliberate violation of the agreement and a clear attempt to undermine mutual trust," he added in a statement. "Thailand is compelled to respond appropriately, exercising its legitimate right to self-defense." Cambodia's defense ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata insisted there had been "no armed clashes against each other in any regions". However, both sides said morning meetings scheduled between opposing regional commanders along the border as part of the truce pact had either begun or were still scheduled to start. "I saw photos of the two leaders shaking hands," said 32-year-old pharmacy worker Kittisak Sukwilai in the Thai city of Surin – 50 kilometers from the border. "I just hope it's not just a photo op with fake smiles – and that those hands aren't actually preparing to stab each other in the back." In Cambodia's Samraong city – 20 kilometers from the frontier –an Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalist said the sound of blasts stopped in the 30 minutes leading up to midnight, with the lull continuing until mid-morning. "The frontline has eased since the ceasefire at 12 midnight," Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said in a Tuesday morning message on Facebook. 'Good faith' Jets, rockets and artillery have killed at least 38 people since last Thursday and displaced nearly 300,000 more – prompting intervention from US President Donald Trump over the weekend. The flare-up was the deadliest since violence raged sporadically from 2008-2011 over the territory, claimed by both because of a vague demarcation made by Cambodia's French colonial administrators in 1907. A joint statement from both countries – and Malaysia, which hosted the peace talks – said the ceasefire was "a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security". A spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a statement Monday evening that "he urges both countries to respect the agreement fully and to create an environment conducive to addressing long-standing issues and achieving lasting peace". Both sides are courting Trump for trade deals to avert his threat of eye-watering tariffs, and the US State Department said its officials had been "on the ground" to shepherd peace talks. The joint statement said China also had "active participation" in the talks, hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister and ASEAN bloc chair Anwar Ibrahim in his country's administrative capital Putrajaya. Manet thanked Trump for his "decisive" support, while his counterpart, Thai acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, said it should be "carried out in good faith by both sides". Post-truce tariff deals Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn marked his 73rd birthday on Monday, but a notice in the country's Royal Gazette said public celebrations scheduled for Bangkok's Grand Palace had been canceled amid the strife. Each side had already agreed to a truce in principle, while accusing the other of undermining peace efforts and trading allegations about the use of cluster bombs and targeting of hospitals. Thailand says 11 of its soldiers and 14 civilians have been killed, while Cambodia has confirmed only eight civilian and five military deaths. More than 138,000 people have fled Thailand's border regions, while around 140,000 have been driven from their homes in Cambodia.
Euronews
2 days ago
- Euronews
Gunman kills five at busy Bangkok fresh food market
A gunman on a shooting spree killed five people at a popular fresh food market in the Thai capital on Monday, police said. The victims included security guards at the Or Tor Kor market in the Chatuchak district of Bangkok, according to a police statement. The Erawan Medical Centre, which coordinates emergency medical services, reported two people were also wounded. The fresh food market, located next to the sprawling Chatuchak Weekend Market, offers a wide range of goods and is popular with both Thai and foreign tourists. A video circulating online reportedly showed the shooter wearing a sports hat and shorts walking in the market with a handgun in his hand and a satchel strapped to his chest. He killed himself after the spree, according to authorities. Police said they were probing details about the suspect, including his motivation. The incident is not connected to the recent Thailand-Cambodia conflict, reports say. Police General Kitrat Phanphet, chief of the national police force, said he has ordered city law enforcement to conduct their investigation promptly and gather all evidence, including closed-circuit video footage. Thailand has fairly restrictive laws on gun ownership, but the number of those who possess firearms is still high, and gun violence is not unusual. October 2023 marked the last mass shooting incident in Bangkok, when a teenager using a modified blank pistol shot several people at the Paragon shopping centre in the city's central shopping district, killing three. One of the country's worst mass killings occurred in October 2022 in the northeastern province of Nong Bua Lamphua, when a police sergeant who had lost his job used guns and knives to kill 36 people, including two dozen toddlers at a day care centre. In February 2020, a disgruntled Thai army soldier shot and killed 29 people, most at a shopping mall in the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima, before he was killed by police after an 18-hour standoff.
