Bangkok, Thailand—July 24, 2025— Thailand said today that it would close all of its border crossings with Cambodia after Cambodian forces “targeted civilians.” The Royal Thai Army stated that at least three persons were hurt when missiles hit a Thai border area. This is a major escalation in the long-running conflict between the two countries.
The National Broadcasting Services of Thailand say that the Deputy Defence Minister has confirmed combat and given the military full operational authority. The official announcement was made at a news conference in Bangkok by Nikorndej Plangkur, the Director-General of the Department of Information and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ spokesperson.
Early this morning, there was allegedly a lot of fighting near the controversial Ta Muen Thom Temple in Thailand’s Surin Province. The Cambodian military started the attack by shooting RPGs and artillery shells over the Thai border, according to local news. The Chakrabongse Bhuvanath Plan is a strategic defense plan that Thai military used to deal with border incidents and safeguard Thailand’s sovereignty.
The 2nd Army Region posted on Facebook that Cambodia started shooting at the Moo Pa Thailand military base at 8:20 AM. The base is about 200 meters east of the Ta Muen Thom ruins. The Thai military has sent six F-16 fighter jets to the Kap Choeng region in Surin province, which is close to the border, in reaction to the growing crisis.
The Nation said that two Thai soldiers were hurt by supporting fire near the Ta Muen Thom Temple in Surin Province. Ta Kwai Temple, Chong Bok, Preah Vihear, Chong An Ma, and Chong Chom are some of the other places that were affected by the fighting.
These strikes come after a landmine explosion at the Chong An Ma border crossing in Ubon Ratchathani province yesterday. Five Thai soldiers were hurt, and one of them lost a limb. The Thai army said clearly that Cambodia had just laid these mines.
On the other hand, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said that Thai troops had attacked Cambodian military posts at the Ta Mone Thom and Ta Krabey temples in Oddar Meanchey province and had also expanded their attack to the Mom Bei area. He said on social media, as reported by The Phnom Penh Post, “Cambodia has always tried to solve problems peacefully, but in this case, we have no choice but to respond with force against this armed invasion.”
At the same time, Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense said that Thailand was trying to take Cambodian land by force by sending too many troops, using heavy weaponry, and carrying out air strikes.
Lieutenant General Boonsin Padklang, who is in charge of Thailand’s 2nd Region Army (which is in charge of the Northeast), ordered the border to be closed and the temple ruins in Surin to be shuttered because of the rising tensions. The Bangkok Post says that these orders went into force on Thursday morning. Also, yesterday the Thai government kicked out Cambodian Ambassador Hun Saroeun and brought back its own ambassador from Phnom Penh. This shows that diplomatic ties have gotten much worse. People who live on the Thai side of the border have been told to leave the regions that are affected.
Recent political unrest is also to blame for the rising tensions. Hun Sen, Cambodia’s former Prime Minister and current President of the Senate, revealed a conversation he had with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra last month about the boundary that is in dispute. The constitutional court of Thailand suspended Shinawatra as prime minister because of this event.
The long-running border disputes between Thailand and Cambodia go back more than a hundred years. They started with maps made by France, which ruled Cambodia until 1953, to show where the land border was. Cambodia still uses these maps to back up its claims to land, but Thailand says they are wrong.