Renewed Fighting in Trat Province
Cambodian Troops Advance in Ban Chamrak
On July 26, 2025, the Thai-Cambodian border conflict intensified, marking its third day with clashes erupting in Ban Chamrak, Muang district, Trat province. The Trat Marine Task Force reported that Cambodian forces encroached on three points within Thai territory at 5:10 am, prompting a swift counteroffensive by the Royal Thai Navy, which repelled the advance by 5:40 am. The operation, dubbed Trat Pikhat Phairee 1, saw the deployment of four patrol vessels, including fast attack gunboats, to secure Ko Kut and Ban Hat Lek in Khlong Yai.
Martial Law and Evacuations Enforced
Residents Relocated to Safe Zones
The Chanthaburi-Trat Border Defence Command extended martial law across eight districts in Trat and Chanthaburi provinces on July 25, responding to the escalating conflict. Governor Natthaphong Sanguanjit ordered evacuations for residents in Muang, Bo Rai, and Khlong Yai districts, relocating the elderly, children, and hospital patients to 10 designated shelters. Cambodian migrant workers in Laem Klat had their phones confiscated for security, as local authorities identified Ban Chamrak and Khlong Yai, near Cambodia’s Koh Kong, as key areas of concern.
Heavy Artillery Disrupts Border Communities
Banthat Mountain Under Fire
Residents near Banthat Mountain, adjacent to Cambodia, reported hearing artillery fire from 5:00 am, with a monk from Rai Pa temple in Noen Sai describing lights from gunfire illuminating the mountains. The Royal Thai Navy’s rapid response included fire support capabilities, highlighting the intensity of the clashes. In Si Sa Ket’s Kantharalak district, the town became nearly deserted as residents fled, with hotels like one managed by Chianuwat Thalalai serving as temporary refuges for those unable to leave the border area.
Long-Standing Border Dispute Fuels Conflict
Ancient Temples at Heart of Tensions
The conflict, which has led to 19 Thai and 13 Cambodian casualties with over 60 injuries, is rooted in decades-long disputes over the 817-kilometer border, particularly around the ancient Hindu temples of Ta Moan Thom and Preah Vihear. The 1962 International Court of Justice ruling granted Preah Vihear to Cambodia, but tensions flared in 2008 over its UNESCO World Heritage listing. Thailand’s UN ambassador, Cherdchai Chaivaivid, accused Cambodia of planting landmines and initiating attacks, while Cambodia condemned Thailand’s actions as unprovoked, urging international intervention as both nations remain locked in a delicate bilateral standoff.
