Thai Navy Joins Conflict Against Cambodia as Fighting Rages
The naval operation early on Saturday followed the incursion of Cambodian troops at three different points in Trat province in Thailand's east, the Thai Defense Ministry said in a statement. The marine forces' counter-operation was able to push back Cambodian soldiers encroaching on Thai territory, it said.
'Thailand stands firm in defending its sovereignty,' the ministry said. 'Aggression will not be tolerated.'
Cambodia in turn accused Thai forces of expanding its offensive deep into its territory against non-military targets including schools, pagodas and residential areas. Thai forces fired heavy artillery shells into several Cambodian areas outside the conflict zone, Khmer Times reported, citing its defense ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata.
The renewed clashes followed two days of intense fighting that saw the use of fighter jets, rocket launchers and heavy artillery across several border areas, forcing the evacuation of more than 100,000 people from the conflict zones by both the countries.
Thailand has put the death toll on its side at 19, including six soldiers since fighting erupted on Thursday, with more than 60 people injured. Cambodia has reported 13 deaths including five soldiers, and injuries to 70 others.
The deadliest clash between the two nations in more than a decade came as longstanding border tensions erupted into a full-fledged conflict. Two Thai soldiers were maimed in landmine explosives and a Cambodian soldier was killed in border skirmish in May — the start of the current standoff.
Thailand and Cambodia have claimed they are operating only in self-defense, with Bangkok insisting on a cessation of Cambodian hostilities before a ceasefire. On Saturday, Thailand's army also reported clashes in Sa Keao, bringing the number of border provinces involved to six out of seven.
The two countries share a long history of border tensions, though relations have remained largely stable since a deadly 2011 conflict that left dozens dead. The last major flare-up centered on the Preah Vihear temple, a longstanding flashpoint dating back to the French colonial era.
Much of the current dispute stems from maps drawn on differing interpretations of early 20th-century Franco-Siamese treaties, which defined the border between Thailand and Cambodia, then part of French Indochina.
Read: What's Behind Deadly Thailand-Cambodia Border Clash?: QuickTake
While the US, China, and Malaysia have reached out to both parties to facilitate a ceasefire, Thailand has said it's intent on resolving the hostilities bilaterally. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has said his country was ready for a ceasefire proposal that was brokered by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as the current chair of regional group Asean. But Thailand backed out of the deal last minute, he said Friday.
A special meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Friday — attended by representatives of both Cambodia and Thailand — called for restraint and resolution of the conflict bilaterally through peaceful means. The council also urged an immediate de-escalation of tensions and a ceasefire, while supporting Asean's role in mediation, Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said Saturday.
However, Thailand will not initiate the calling off of military action and Cambodia must end its hostilities first, Maris told reporters.
'Cambodia must show evidence of good faith to end this conflict,' Maris said, thanking Malaysia's Anwar for his offer to facilitate talks. 'They must end aggression and attacks on Thailand.'
The conflict comes at a perilous time for both countries as they face a raft of economic challenges, including the looming threat of steep US tariffs. While neighboring Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam have secured trade agreements with the Trump administration, export-dependent Thailand has yet to strike a deal.
The border clashes also risk worsening a political crisis in Thailand. Its embattled leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra has already been suspended as prime minister over her alleged mishandling of the border dispute.
Her Pheu Thai-led coalition has been on shaky ground since the defection of a key party last month reduced it to a slim majority, and now faces the threat of more anti-government protests seeking her ouster.
(Updates with comments from Thai foreign minister in 12th paragraph.)
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
7 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Donald Trump threatens to take over Washington DC's governance
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the federal government could take control of Washington D.C. if the local government "doesn't get its act together," with his comments coming in a social media post complaining about crime in the U.S. capital. US President Donald Trump on the roof of the West Wing of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025.(Bloomberg) "The Law in D.C. must be changed to prosecute these 'minors' as adults, and lock them up for a long time, starting at age 14," Trump said in his post. "If D.C. doesn't get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City," he added.
Deccan Herald
37 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
Do lie detectors actually know the truth?
Britain said it will begin implementing a deal to return some migrants who arrive on small boats to France within days, a key part of its plans to cut illegal migration, after a treaty on the arrangement is ratified on Tuesday. Under the new deal, France has agreed to accept the return of undocumented people arriving in Britain by small boats, in exchange for Britain agreeing to accept an equal number of legitimate asylum seekers with British family connections. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron announced the "one in, one out" pilot scheme on migrant returns last month. More than 25,000 people have come to Britain on small boats so far in 2025, and Starmer has pledged to "smash the gangs" of smugglers to try to reduce the number of arrivals. Starmer, whose popularity has fallen since winning an election landslide last year, is facing pressure to stop small boats from Nigel Farage's Reform UK party, which leads national opinion polls. In recent weeks in England, there have been a number of protests around hotels housing the asylum seekers who have arrived on small boats, attended by both anti-immigration and pro-immigration groups.
Mint
37 minutes ago
- Mint
President of wealthy Switzerland rushes to Washington to try to avert steep US tariffs
GENEVA — After weeks of working with U.S. officials to try to avoid hefty tariffs on Swiss goods, negotiators from Switzerland got assurances that a deal was all but done. Swiss businesses vowed to pour tens of billions in investment in the United States in the coming years. Still, President Donald Trump said no to any special deal. Now a scramble is underway ahead of Thursday, the deadline for when the whopping 39% tariff on Swiss products announced last week goes into effect. Switzerland's President Karin Keller-Sutter and other top officials traveled to Washington on Tuesday to try to convince Trump that the measure — among the highest from the Trump administration — was too much and could cut profits for famed Swiss industries like chocolates and watchmaking. The new rate is over 2 1/2 times higher than the one on European Union goods exported to the U.S. and nearly four times higher than on British exports to the U.S. — raising questions about Switzerland's ability to compete with the 27-member bloc that it neighbors. Under the U.S. announcements from last Friday, the export duties imposed on Swiss companies will now only be surpassed by those on firms from Laos, Myanmar and Syria, which are facing 40-41% rates. Switzerland's case is a lesson in do's and don'ts of doing business with Trump. The thinking goes, if a rich country with economic might that excels in technology, pharmaceuticals and finance can't convince the U.S. president to scale back the high tariffs, who can? Trump himself seems to be focused on a single, high number: Switzerland's trade surplus in goods with the U.S. In an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, Trump alluded to a recent call he had with Keller-Sutter, saying 'the woman was nice, but she didn't want to listen' and that he had told her: 'We have a $41 billion deficit with you, Madame.' It was not immediately clear where that $41 billion figure came from. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. ran a $38.3 billion trade imbalance on goods last year with Switzerland. That figure excludes exports of services. Keller-Sutter, who also serves as Switzerland's finance minister, has faced criticism in Swiss media over the last-ditch call with Trump before a U.S. deadline on tariffs expired Aug. 1, which some say appeared to make things worse. The 39% rate is even higher than the 31% on Swiss goods announced on Trump's 'Liberation Day' in early April — before the Swiss started negotiating with U.S. officials. The new figure took many Swiss business leaders by surprise. 'It's hard to negotiate when you're dealing with someone as unpredictable as Donald Trump,' said Ivan Slatkine, head of the Federation of Romandie Enterprises, which groups companies in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. 'We had a government that gave the impression the deal was done, it only awaited a signature from the president,' Slatkine told The Associated Press over the phone. 'We have the impression that we were punished, but we don't know why.' The United States is Switzerland's second-biggest trading partner after the EU, which nearly surrounds the Alpine country of more than 9 million. The Swiss government said Tuesday's trip was meant to 'facilitate meetings with the U.S. authorities at short notice and hold talks with a view to improving the tariff situation for Switzerland.' Swiss officials have argued that American goods face virtually zero tariffs in Switzerland, and the Swiss government says the wealthy Alpine country is the sixth-biggest foreign investor in the U.S. and the leading investor in research and development. Switzerland's powerful pharmaceutical industry — which promised tens of billions of investments in the U.S. in recent months amid the tariff worries — is exempt from the 39% rate. But Slatkine said the steep tariff level could be aimed to send Switzerland's Big Pharma — epitomized by Roche and Novartis — a message that it too could come under pressure. The trip comes a day after Switzerland's executive branch, the Federal Council, held an extraordinary meeting and said it was 'keen to pursue talks with the United States on the tariff situation,' according to a government statement. After consulting with Swiss businesses, the council said it had developed 'new approaches for its discussions' with U.S. officials and was looking ahead to continued negotiations. "Switzerland enters this new phase ready to present a more attractive offer, taking U.S. concerns into account and seeking to ease the current tariff situation," the council said. According to figures published by the Swiss Embassy in Washington, the U.S. has been Switzerland's most important goods export market since 2021, while Switzerland is the fourth most important export market for U.S. services — not goods. The bilateral trade volume in goods and services between Switzerland and the U.S. reached a total of $185.9 billion in 2023, the embassy says on its website. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
