Why are Thailand and Cambodia fighting each other with F16s, ground bombs; what happened today?

What happened on Thursday?

Thailand and Cambodia have offered sharply conflicting accounts of Thursday’s deadly exchange of fire along their disputed border.

Here is what Thailand said

According to Thailand’s National Security Council (NSC) as reported by BBC, the incident began just after 7:30am local time (00:30 GMT), when Cambodian forces allegedly deployed drones to monitor Thai troop positions near the border. Shortly after, Thai officials claim, Cambodian soldiers armed with rocket-propelled grenades assembled in the area. Thai troops attempted to negotiate by shouting across the border, but received no response. By 8:20am, Cambodian forces reportedly opened fire, prompting a Thai counterattack, where Bangkok deployed F-16s to strike Cambodian targets and ordered evacuations in Surin Province.

Residents in Thailand’s Surin province bordering Cambodia ran for cover as the neighboring countries exchanged fire, after weeks of tension over a border dispute that has escalated into clashes https://t.co/W6L9ZXSqBY pic.twitter.com/M5kMt6fvwV

— Reuters (@Reuters) July 24, 2025

The NSC accused Cambodia of escalating the situation by using heavy weapons, including BM-21 rocket launchers and artillery. These strikes, Thailand said, damaged civilian infrastructure in four Thai provinces — including homes, a hospital, and a petrol station.

Thailand’s acting premier Phumtham Wechayachai said that its dispute with Cambodia remains “delicate” and must be addressed with care, and in line with international law.

The different story by Cambodia

Cambodia, however, tells a different story. Officials in Phnom Penh claim the clash began an hour earlier, at around 6:30am, when Thai soldiers allegedly violated a prior agreement by advancing near Prasat Ta Muen Thom, an ancient Khmer-Hindu temple near the border and placing barbed wire around its base.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said the country had “no choice but to respond with armed force against this armed invasion,” accusing Thai troops of opening fire first at the temple.

Thai people looks at the damage of Phanom Dong Rak hospital after Cambodia fired artillery shells at Surin Province, Thailand, Thursday, July 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunny Chittawil)

According to Cambodian Defence Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata, Thai forces launched a drone just after 7:00am and fired warning shots into the air around 8:30. At 8:46am, she said, Thai troops “pre-emptively” opened fire on Cambodian soldiers, forcing them to return fire in self-defence.

Socheata also accused Thailand of deploying an overwhelming number of troops and using disproportionate force, including airstrikes on Cambodian territory.

How many have died?

Thai authorities reported 12 deaths — 11 civilians and one soldier — and at least 31 injuries, including a child. Thousands have begun fleeing the conflict zone. Cambodia has not confirmed casualty numbers.

Why are the two countries clashing?

The dispute between Thailand and Cambodia is far from new — it stretches back over a century to when the borders between the two nations were first drawn during the French colonial occupation of Cambodia.

Hostilities intensified in 2008 when Cambodia sought to register an 11th-century temple located in the contested border zone as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The move sparked fierce protests in Thailand and set off a series of armed confrontations, with the deadliest flare-up in 2011, when week-long fighting killed 15 people and displaced tens of thousands.

Since then, sporadic clashes have flared up periodically, resulting in casualties among both soldiers and civilians.

The current wave of tension began in May, following the death of a Cambodian soldier in a border skirmish. That incident pushed relations to their lowest point in over a decade. A land mine injury to a Thai soldier on Wednesday further inflamed tensions. Thailand has since downgraded diplomatic relations, expelling Cambodia’s ambassador and recalling its own.

In the weeks since, both nations have imposed tit-for-tat restrictions — Cambodia banned Thai imports including fruits, vegetables, electricity, and internet services, while both sides have deployed additional troops to the contested border areas.

Thailand’s political crisis

In June, Paetongtarn Shinawatra called Hun Sen, Cambodia’s de facto leader and father of the current prime minister, to discuss the escalating border tensions. Hun Sen has close ties with her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, a former Thai prime minister and leader of a powerful political dynasty, as well as one of the country’s wealthiest figures.

Hun Sen later posted a recording of their call, in which Paetongtarn appeared to disparage Thailand’s powerful military while taking a deferential tone. She referred to him as “uncle” and assured him she would “arrange” anything he wanted.

The call sparked public outrage, with thousands of protesters taking to the streets of Bangkok. Despite her public apology, Paetongtarn has come under mounting pressure to resign less than a year into her term — including from within her own governing coalition.

In early July, a Thai court suspended her from office.