Bangkok, December 9th, 2025 – Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow delivered a firm rebuke to international calls for immediate negotiations with Cambodia on Tuesday, declaring that dialogue remains “premature” as long as Phnom Penh persists in border provocations that have already claimed three Thai lives.
The statement comes amid escalating clashes along the disputed frontier, where Cambodian forces have been accused of firing into Thai territory and deploying new landmines, shattering a fragile U.S.-brokered peace accord.
The latest flare-up, which began on December 7th in Si Sa Ket’s Kantharalak district, has seen Cambodian troops open fire across the border in the Phu Pha Lek-Phlan Hin Paet Kon area, wounding two Thai soldiers and killing one initially and escalating into broader exchanges by early December 8th. Thai military reports, confirmed by the Second Army Region, detail further incidents in multiple locations, including Ubon Ratchathani and Surin provinces, resulting in one Thai soldier killed and eight others wounded. Videos presented by the Foreign Ministry show Cambodian forces using recoilless rifles and positioning long-range weaponry near the line, prompting Thailand to launch precision airstrikes with F-16 jets targeting only military installations to “contain damage and halt supporting fire,”.
This crisis marks the second phase of hostilities in 2025, following a summer of intense fighting in June that displaced over 300,000 people and killed dozens. A temporary ceasefire in July, mediated by ASEAN and U.S. President Donald Trump, led to the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord in October, hailed by Sihasak as a “pathway to peace” during its signing.
Yet Thailand suspended the deal last month after a series of landmine explosions injuring Thai soldiers. At the 22nd States Parties Meeting of the Ottawa Convention in Geneva on December 5th, Sihasak urged the UN to launch an independent fact-finding mission, presenting footage of Cambodian troops allegedly planting anti-personnel mines in Thai territory – a violation of the Mine Ban Treaty both nations signed years ago.
In a detailed press briefing on December 8th for diplomats from 58 countries and international organizations, as summarized on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, Sihasak stressed Thailand’s defensive posture. “We did not initiate these clashes,” he stated, adding that Thai forces have responded only to protect sovereignty while evacuating border communities in four northeastern provinces – Buri Ram, Surin, Si Sa Ket, and Ubon Ratchathani. Thousands of residents have been relocated to shelters, with almost a thousand schools in five border provinces shuttered indefinitely, per Education Minister Narumon Pinyosinwat’s announcement reported by us here.
International pressure for talks is mounting. The United Nations has called for immediate negotiations, while Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim urged de-escalation, warning that “our region cannot afford cycles of confrontation.” The U.S., a key mediator in the Kuala Lumpur accord, has expressed surprise at the breakdown but welcomed involvement to de-escalate.
Sihasak questioned the efficacy of rushed talks, asking: “Why negotiate when previous pacts have been ignored?” Formal letters dispatched to the UN and global partners outline Thailand’s evidence and reiterate that Phnom Penh must first show “genuine willingness” for good-faith engagement. Until then, Bangkok will maintain “necessary military measures” along the border, including enhanced patrols and the indefinite closure of all border checkpoints, a decision unanimously backed by Thai military chiefs.
For now, talks appear to be off the table. Photos are from the Royal Thai Navy of parts of a village in Trat where they said Cambodian Soldiers encroached on Thai land, trying to build a temporary base and using rocket launchers against Thai forces.
For the original version of this article, please visit The Pattaya News.
