---
title: "Thai and Cambodia militaries clash at disputed border"
description: "Armed clashes broke out between Thailand and Cambodia along a disputed area of their border early on Thursday, the militaries of both countries said, accusing each other of firing the first shots after weeks of simmering tension."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-07-24-thai-and-cambodia-militaries-clash-at-disputed-border/"
published: "2025-07-24T04:55:11"
updated: "2025-07-24T04:55:13"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 155
---

# Thai and Cambodia militaries clash at disputed border

> Armed clashes broke out between Thailand and Cambodia along a disputed area of their border early on Thursday, the militaries of both countries said, accusing each other of firing the first shots after weeks of simmering tension.

By Reuters · Published 24 July 2025, 06:55 SAST · Updated 24 July 2025, 06:55 SAST

## Key points
- In a classic case of "you shoot first, we shoot back," Thailand and Cambodia have turned a temple dispute into a military drama, complete with accusations of landmine sabotage and diplomatic expulsions, proving that sometimes, history really does repeat itself—just with more drones and fewer monks.
- Thai military accuses Cambodian troops of opening fire near the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple, escalating tensions.
- Cambodia claims it acted in self-defence against an unprovoked incursion by Thai forces.
- The clash follows diplomatic strains, with Thailand recalling its ambassador and planning to expel Cambodia's envoy.
- Allegations of recent landmine placements by Thailand are dismissed by Cambodia, which still grapples with millions of leftover mines from its civil war.

## Content

In a statement, the Thai military said Cambodian troops had opened fire in an area near the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple. It said Cambodia had deployed a surveillance drone before sending troops to the area with heavy weapons.

A spokesperson for Cambodia's defence ministry said there had been an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops and Cambodian forces had responded in self-defence.

The clash came after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia on Wednesday and said it would expel Cambodia's envoy in Bangkok, after a second Thai soldier in the space of a week lost a limb to a landmine in the disputed area.

Thailand has said the landmines had been placed in the area recently, which Cambodia has described as baseless allegations.

Cambodia has many landmines left over from its civil war decades ago, numbering in the millions according to de-mining groups.

(Reporting by panu Wongcha-um; Writing by Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by Martin Petty)