Over 500,000 Evacuated in Cambodia and Thailand Amid Border Conflicts

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Displaced residents rest as they seek shelter at an evacuee center amid clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border in Thailand’s Sa Kaeo Province on December 10, 2025. — AFP

– Thailand and Cambodia are disputing the demarcation of their 800-kilometer border.
– Both countries accuse each other of provoking the recent resurgence in fighting.
– The latest hostilities have spread across five provinces in both nations.

More than 500,000 people have fled their homes to safety in Thailand and Cambodia since renewed border clashes erupted, according to official reports on Wednesday. This number exceeds the total evacuated during similar conflicts earlier this year.

“The civilian population has had to evacuate en masse due to an imminent threat to their safety. Over 400,000 individuals have been relocated to secure shelters,” Thai Defense Ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri informed reporters during a briefing. “Our goal is to prevent any recurrence of the attacks on civilians that occurred in July 2025.”

In Cambodia, approximately 101,229 individuals have been evacuated to safe locations or moved in with relatives across five provinces, reported defense spokeswoman Maly Socheata.

The conflict centers around the colonial-era border boundary, where competing claims over historic temples have sparked armed clashes. The current fighting is the deadliest since a five-day series of battles in July that resulted in dozens of deaths and displaced around 300,000 people on both sides. A fragile ceasefire was later mediated during a visit by U.S. President Donald Trump, who helped broker a truce between Cambodia and Thailand in October.

Both countries blame each other for reigniting hostilities, which as of Tuesday, have expanded to five provinces in each nation, based on official figures compiled by AFP.

In response to the ongoing violence, President Trump announced plans to contact officials about the conflict. While speaking to supporters in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, he mentioned managing international disputes, including the recent clashes between Cambodia and Thailand, which he said started just that day.

“I intend to make a call tomorrow, and I believe they’ll understand,” Trump stated. “Who else can claim they can step in, pick up the phone, and halt a conflict between two powerful nations?”