Thailand-Cambodia War Escalates: Airstrikes and Failed Diplomacy

The armed conflict between Thailand and Cambodia has intensified significantly as it enters its ninth day, marking a dangerous escalation that has now spread from contested border skirmishes to a broader theater of war involving airstrikes and naval blockades. Despite high-profile diplomatic interventions, the violence has worsened, with the Royal Thai Air Force launching precision bombing raids and the Thai Navy enforcing a de facto economic stranglehold on its neighbor.
On Monday, December 15, 2025, the conflict reached a new level of severity when Thai F-16 fighter jets executed airstrikes deep within Cambodia’s Pursat province. The primary target was the Chey Chumneas Bridge, a critical infrastructure point that Thai intelligence identified as a major supply route for the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF). Thai military officials justified the strike, claiming the bridge was being used to transport heavy artillery and BM-21 multiple rocket launcher systems to the frontlines. The destruction of the bridge effectively severs a main artery for Cambodian logistics but has drawn sharp condemnation for expanding the war zone beyond the traditional disputed areas of Preah Vihear.
The diplomatic landscape remains chaotic and ineffective. Hopes for a quick resolution were dashed after a purported breakthrough by U.S. President Donald Trump collapsed almost immediately. While President Trump announced on Friday that he had brokered a return to the “July Peace Agreement,” Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul publicly rejected the assertion. In a defiant statement, Anutin declared that Thailand had not agreed to a ceasefire and would continue military operations until the threat to Thai sovereignty was neutralized. This diplomatic disconnect has left international mediators scrambling, as trust between the two nations hits an all-time low.
In a strategic shift that threatens to cripple the Cambodian economy, Thailand has moved the conflict into the maritime domain. The Royal Thai Navy has designated waters near major Cambodian ports as “high-risk zones” and has begun intercepting vessels. On Sunday, reports confirmed that Thai naval ships shelled coastal targets in Koh Kong province. More critically, Thailand is weaponizing its economic leverage by blocking fuel exports to Cambodia. With Cambodia heavily reliant on Thai refined oil, this blockade poses an existential threat to Cambodia’s ability to power its cities and maintain military operations.
The humanitarian toll is mounting rapidly. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that over 500,000 civilians have now been displaced on both sides of the border. Refugee camps are overflowing, and aid organizations are warning of an impending sanitary crisis due to a lack of clean water and medical supplies. The complete closure of land border crossings has trapped thousands of civilians, preventing them from fleeing the combat zones and halting cross-border trade entirely.
As the conflict spills into the Gulf of Thailand and diplomatic channels freeze, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) faces its most severe stability crisis in decades. Analysts warn that without immediate and unified international intervention, the skirmishes are poised to evolve into a protracted conventional war that could destabilize the entire region for years to come.