
BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH – Thailand declared martial law in eight districts along its eastern border on Friday as heavy artillery and gunfire exchanges with Cambodian forces intensified, marking one of the deadliest military confrontations between the two nations in over a decade. At least 15 people have been killed and over three dozen injured in Thailand, with Thai authorities evacuating more than 130,000 civilians from the conflict zone.
The escalating violence, which has prompted an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, stems from a long-simmering and complex border dispute. While international powers, including the US and China, have offered to mediate, Thailand’s acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, issued a stark warning that the situation “could potentially develop into a war,” asserting Bangkok's commitment to defending its sovereignty.
Escalation on the Border: Martial Law and Military Action

As artillery shells continued to fall on Friday, the Thai military took the significant step of imposing martial law. In a statement, Apichart Sapprasert, Commander of the military's Border Defense Command, announced that the law was now in effect in seven districts of Chanthaburi province and one district of Trat province. He justified the decision due to what he termed "Cambodia's use of force" to enter Thai territory.
The declaration grants the military broad powers to enforce curfews and restrict movement. This move followed reports that both sides had deployed heavy weaponry and that Thailand had scrambled F-16 fighter jets in response to attacks on its military bases.
The Human Cost: Casualties and Mass Evacuations
The primary victims of this conflict are the civilians living in the border regions. Thailand's health ministry has confirmed that at least 15 people have lost their lives, with more than three dozen others being treated for injuries.
To protect its citizens, Thai authorities have undertaken a massive evacuation effort, relocating more than 130,000 people from villages and towns. On the other side of the border, Cambodian local media reported that 260 schools have been closed in the province of Oddar Meanchey, the epicenter of the fighting.
A Diplomatic Breakdown: Failed Ceasefire and War Warnings
The violence erupted despite recent diplomatic efforts. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet stated that his country was ready for a ceasefire but accused Thailand of reneging on a truce reportedly brokered by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
This diplomatic failure has been compounded by Thailand's firm stance on mediation. While the United States, China, and Malaysia have all offered to mediate, Bangkok has insisted on handling the dispute through direct, bilateral negotiations.
“We do appreciate their kind offers... But at the moment we still want to solve the problems bilaterally," said Russ Jalichandra, Thailand’s vice minister for foreign affairs.
The Root of the Conflict: A Centuries-Old Dispute
The current conflict is not a spontaneous eruption of violence but the latest flare-up of a deep-seated historical dispute rooted in colonial-era map-making and national pride. At the heart of the century-long contention is the ancient Preah Vihear Temple, a stunning 11th-century Khmer sanctuary perched atop a cliff in the DĆ¢ngrĆŖk Mountains. The temple holds immense cultural and historical significance for both Thailand and Cambodia, making its sovereignty a matter of intense national identity for both nations.
The dispute originates from ambiguous border maps drawn up in the early 20th century under treaties between Siam (modern Thailand) and the French colonial authorities then controlling Cambodia. These French-drawn maps placed the temple squarely within Cambodian territory. However, Thailand has consistently argued that this demarcation violates the "natural watershed" principle agreed upon in the 1904 treaty, which would place the temple on the Thai side of the border. Alluding to this complex history, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently blamed the ongoing clash on the "legacy of western colonisers."
This cartographical discrepancy led to decades of tension that culminated in a landmark 1962 ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The court sided with Cambodia, awarding it sovereignty over the temple based on the maps. However, the ruling contained a critical flaw: while it settled the ownership of the temple structure itself, it failed to clearly demarcate the surrounding 4.6 square kilometers of land, leaving the crucial access points and surrounding territory as a contested buffer zone that both countries claim.
This unresolved ambiguity has been the direct cause of periodic and often deadly military standoffs ever since. The most serious clashes in recent memory occurred in 2008 and 2011, shortly after the temple was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, an event that reignited nationalist sentiments on both sides. The current fighting is, therefore, another tragic chapter in this unresolved historical grievance, where the lines on a colonial map continue to fuel a deadly modern-day conflict.
International Response and the Path Forward
The international community is watching the escalating crisis with growing alarm. The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on the situation later on Friday to discuss de-escalation measures.
The United States has been actively engaging with both sides, with the US embassy in Bangkok confirming they "have consistently encouraged Thailand and Cambodia to resolve their differences peacefully." With a ceasefire having failed and both nations digging in their heels, the path forward is uncertain, and the international community's role may become crucial in pulling the two neighbors back from the brink of a wider conflict.