Tuesday, December 30, 2025 - Thailand’s army has accused Cambodia of breaching a newly signed ceasefire agreement by flying more than 250 drones into Thai territory, raising fresh doubts over the durability of the truce reached after weeks of deadly border clashes.
Thailand and Cambodia agreed to an “immediate” ceasefire on
Saturday, December 27, committing to halt renewed fighting that had killed
dozens of people and displaced more than one million residents along their
shared border this month. However, the Thai military said on Monday, December
29, that the agreement had already been violated.
In a statement, the Thai army said “more than 250 unmanned
aerial vehicles (UAVs) were detected flying from the Cambodian side, intruding
into Thailand’s sovereign territory” on Sunday night.
“Such actions constitute provocation and a violation of
measures aimed at reducing tensions, which are inconsistent with the Joint
Statement agreed” during a bilateral border committee meeting on Saturday, it
added.
The allegation came as the foreign ministers of both
countries concluded two days of talks hosted by China, aimed at rebuilding
trust and improving relations. The Thai army warned that the reported drone
activity could affect the security of both military personnel and civilians in
border areas.
Thai army spokesman Winthai Suvaree said the drone flights
reflected “Cambodia’s continued provocative actions and hostile stance toward
Thailand,” adding that Thailand “may need to reconsider its decision regarding
the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers, depending on the situation and the
behaviour observed.”
Under the ceasefire pact signed on Saturday, the two
Southeast Asian neighbours agreed to halt hostilities, freeze troop movements,
cooperate on demining and cybercrime, and allow displaced civilians to return
home. Thailand also pledged to release 18 Cambodian soldiers captured in July
within 72 hours, provided the ceasefire held.
Cambodia’s Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn downplayed the
incident, describing it as “a small issue related to flying drones seen by both
sides along the border line.”
In remarks broadcast on Cambodian state television, he said
the matter had been discussed and that both sides agreed to investigate and
“resolve it immediately”.
The latest tensions follow renewed fighting this month that
spread to nearly every border province on both sides, collapsing an earlier
truce for which U.S. president Donald Trump had previously taken credit.
Five days of clashes in July left dozens dead before a ceasefire was brokered
with the involvement of the United States, China and Association of Southeast
Asian Nations chair Malaysia.
The long-running dispute centres on the colonial-era
demarcation of the 800-kilometre Thai-Cambodian border, where both sides claim
ownership of centuries-old temple ruins. While both governments have again
agreed to stop fighting, officials acknowledge that resolving the boundary
demarcation remains a critical and unresolved issue.
At the close of talks in China’s Yunnan province on Monday,
Cambodia, Thailand and China issued a joint statement saying they had discussed
“working step by step through mutual efforts to resume normal exchanges,
rebuild political mutual trust, improve Cambodia-Thailand bilateral relations,
and safeguard regional stability.” Cambodia also announced that it had invited
Thailand to another bilateral meeting in early January to continue discussions
on border survey and demarcation work.
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