13 Killed as Thailand-Cambodia Fighting Reignites

Did Thailand launch unprovoked attacks on Cambodia, or is Thailand defending its territory from aggression?

Published DEC 9

13 Killed as Thailand-Cambodia Fighting Reignites

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Above: A wounded Thai soldier is taken to a hospital in Thailand on Dec. 8, 2025. Image credit: Royal Thai Army/Handout/Anadolu/Getty Images

The Spin

Narrative A

Thailand violated the ceasefire by launching unprovoked military attacks on Cambodian territory, killing innocent civilians. The Thai military's barbaric aggression is a grave breach of international commitments witnessed by the U.S. and Malaysia, forcing Cambodia to exercise legitimate self-defense under U.N. Charter Article 51. Thailand's brutal assault on sovereign Cambodian land demands immediate cessation and accountability for these war crimes against peaceful civilians.

Khmer Times

Narrative B

Thailand has consistently proven through evidence submitted to international organizations that it is not the aggressor in this border conflict and will never allow encroachment on its sovereign territory. The duty of any national leader is to safeguard territorial integrity when under attack, and witnesses to any agreement should tell the actual aggressor to stop first rather than demanding Thailand endure continued assaults. The time for one-sided restraint has passed.

The Nation Thailand

Thailand Government Public Relations Department on X

Anti-Trump narrative

After the promise of global peace deals, Trump watched hopes rise — a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, a peace accord between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda and pledges to ease the crises in Gaza and Ukraine. But as fresh fighting erupted along the Thai-Cambodia border and violence surged again in eastern Congo, the dream of ending wars through diplomacy alone started to crumble — leaving citizens displaced, hopes dashed and peace fragile.

Times Now

Sushant Sareen on X

Narrative D

Amid intensifying border clashes, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's refusal to seek peace with Cambodia was driving Thailand into a strategic trap set by Hun Sen. As evacuations surpassed 100,000 and schools and hospitals shut down, military force alone could not end the crisis. The government must shift toward a balanced strategy combining defense, diplomacy and a global crackdown on scam networks that help fuel the Cambodian regime.

Thai Enquirer on X