December 14, 2025. BANGKOK/PNOMPENH – Intense military clashes between Cambodia and Thailand along their disputed border have entered a seventh day, with casualties mounting and over 560,000 civilians displaced as ASEAN-mediated ceasefire efforts falter, officials from both nations confirmed Thursday.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, serving as ASEAN chair, proposed an immediate ceasefire starting 10 p.m. Wednesday, but Thai caretaker Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin dismissed the initiative, stating “it is not yet time for negotiations” and demanding Cambodia first withdraw troops and clear landmines from border areas . Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet swiftly welcomed the proposal on his official social media account, calling it a “critical step toward de-escalation” .
Casualties and Humanitarian Crisis Deepen
The conflict, which erupted on December 7, has inflicted heavy tolls on both sides. Thailand’s Defense Ministry reported 15 soldiers killed and approximately 270 wounded as of Wednesday, with 263,105 civilians sheltered in 970 temporary camps across seven provinces. Seven Thai civilians, including two injured in a rocket attack on a Si Sa Ket province residential area Wednesday, have also died .
Cambodia’s Information Minister Neth Pheaktra announced 11 civilian deaths and 59 injuries, with nearly 300,000 people displaced across five border provinces. He accused Thai forces of using F-16 fighter jets to bomb a hotel and two bridges in Pursat province Wednesday morning . The Cambodian Interior Ministry further suspended all border crossings with Thailand, citing “imminent security threats” .
Infrastructure damage spans both territories. Cambodia’s Education Ministry said 635 schools have closed, disrupting education for 163,000 students , while Thailand’s Health Ministry noted 200 medical facilities have sustained damage .
Mutual Accusations and Military Escalation
Both sides blame each other for initiating hostilities. Thailand’s Army First Region Command claimed it destroyed a Cambodian ammunition depot and air defense system in a joint air-ground strike Wednesday , while Cambodia’s Defense Spokesperson Meas Sophea accused Thai forces of “indiscriminate shelling of civilian villages” .
The violence follows the collapse of a October 26 peace accord signed at the ASEAN Summit. Tensions reignited in November after two Thai soldiers were injured in a landmine explosion, which Thailand attributed to Cambodia – a claim strongly denied by Phnom Penh .
ASEAN’s Mediation Efforts
Malaysia’s Anwar has held separate calls with both leaders, emphasizing “ASEAN’s commitment to non-confrontation” . However, Thailand’s rejection of the ceasefire has raised concerns about regional stability. Shanghai Institutes for International Studies analyst Zhou Shixin noted, “Domestic political pressures in both countries are fueling hardline stances, making compromise difficult” .
The longstanding dispute centers on an undefined border and the 11th-century Preah Vihear Temple complex, awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice in 1962 but surrounded by contested territory . Previous clashes in May and July 2025 killed over 40 people and displaced 300,000 .
As of Thursday afternoon, artillery exchanges continued in Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani and Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey provinces, with no sign of immediate de-escalation .
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