7 minutes ago, sungod said:

Yes, but Cambodia made no attempt to talk.

 

Tells you volumes, ran off and told mum. 

Are you sure you are right. 

Just read on the Thai Enquirer that Thaksin says there is no need for outside intervention to stop the fighting because "Hun Sen needs to be taught a lesson"

Wonderful government, wonderful man.

8 minutes ago, sungod said:

Yes, but Cambodia made no attempt to talk.

 

Tells you volumes, ran off and told mum. 

 

It doesn't tell you anything.

 

You're jumping to conclusions.  

Just now, GreasyFingers said:

Are you sure you are right. 

Just read on the Thai Enquirer that Thaksin says there is no need for outside intervention to stop the fighting because "Hun Sen needs to be taught a lesson"

Wonderful government, wonderful man.

The joint border commission met last month, Cambodia refused to talk about the 4 contested areas. 

11 minutes ago, proton said:

 

USA had hundreds, the Vietnamese 0

But they had SAMs.

Just now, JBChiangRai said:

 

It doesn't tell you anything.

 

You're jumping to conclusions.  

 

What part of refusing to talk about the 4 contested areas at a bilateral meeting  and thus de- escalating at the lowest level do you not understand? 

Thai-Cambodian Border Clashes Continue on Second Day

 

 

2 minutes ago, sungod said:

 

What part of refusing to talk about the 4 contested areas at a bilateral meeting  and thus de- escalating at the lowest level do you not understand? 

 

Back that up with a link from Cambodia 

7 minutes ago, sungod said:

The joint border commission met last month, Cambodia refused to talk about the 4 contested areas. 

You might be a little one-eyed.

@sungod My point is, you can't believe anything we are told.

 

Why would Cambodia refuse to talk about the contested areas yet propose independent adjudication?

 

On the face of it, a very reasonable approach.

 

Who planted the mines?  We don't know.

 

Who fired first? We don't know.

 

All I do know is it may suit Thailand and Cambodia to have this dispute.  

Just now, JBChiangRai said:

 

Back that up with a link from Cambodia 

 

Ah yes, the country that deliberately shells convenience stores!

 

 

9 minutes ago, GreasyFingers said:

You might be a little one-eyed.

If you think Taksin has any control over what is happening at the moment then I sad to say you are mistaken. 

8 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

All I do know is it may suit Thailand and Cambodia to have this dispute.  

 

That I do agree with!

21 hours ago, The Cyclist said:

Thais on the move and taking shelter

 

 

 

UK's Guardian running a live blog

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/jul/24/thailand-cambodia-border-clashes-live-soldiers-fire-at-each-other-along-disputed-border#img-3

 

Political ruling class's desire for greater  gravitational pull.

Urban dwellers' overly nationalistic sentiment.

All at the expense of the people in  war zone.

 

UPDATE
Both governments have issued accounts of what happened at the start of day1 of the conflict

 

Thai government account published by the Public Relations Department.

 

Cambodian government account.

 

A post breaking forum rules has been removed.

 

@FlorC rule 4. You will not express disrespect of the King of Thailand or any member of the Thai royal family whether living or deceased. You will not criticize the monarchy as an institution. Speculation, comments or discussion of either a political or personal nature are not allowed when discussing His Majesty The King of Thailand or the Thai royal family. You will not link to or discuss any website which contravenes this rule.To breach this rule is a serious issue that will result in suspension or possible removal from the  forum.

1 hour ago, bubblegum said:

Your health is hardly the topic

Thank you for your compassion.  

On 7/24/2025 at 12:04 PM, Lorry said:

Why do you think it is nonsensical?

Simple, the world, except for Thailand, accepts the ruling by the ICJ, 1960....so, why is Thailand stirring up trouble now....is there a no so hidden agenda...unstable government, impose martial law....yep, another coup. It all seems to suit the military 

18 hours ago, Cameroni said:

 

It's actually French incompetence that caused the present problem:

 

"In 1907, the Thai-Cambodian border was mapped by the French on behalf of a bilateral border commission. According to the 1904 agreement, the border would follow the natural watershed between the countries. However, the resulting map deviated by showing Preah Vihear Temple as being in Cambodia, even though it is on the Thai side of the watershed. Thailand accepted the map for official use. The Thais discovered the error when they made their own survey in the 1930s, but the ICJ ruled that they had waited too long to protest and lost the temple by "acquiescence".

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008–2013_Cambodian–Thai_border_crisis

 

Both good historical summaries of the original 'agreements / disagreements' and why lines on a map are contested....

 

However, the issue has become politically nuanced....

 

Along the Thailand-Cambodia border, especially in places like Poipet and Koh Kong, a lot more is going on than meets the eye. These areas have become hubs for call centres, online scam operations, and casinos, many of them operating in legal grey zones. Cambodia has profited heavily from these industries, often turning a blind eye to the criminal networks behind them. From Thailand’s perspective, these operations - many targeting Thai citizens - have created real tension, fuelling distrust and feeding into wider border security issues.

 

But, the border dispute isn’t just about where the line is drawn on a map - it’s also deeply tied to potential oil and gas riches in the Overlapping Claims Area (OCA) in the Gulf of Thailand. Both countries have long claimed this stretch of sea, which is believed to hold vast untapped reserves. The OCA became more than a territorial issue - it’s about who gets to control and profit from the energy beneath it. This adds weight to the broader border tensions, fuelling nationalist rhetoric on both sides and complicating any efforts at peaceful resolution. The promise of oil has turned what might otherwise be a manageable land or maritime boundary dispute into a high-stakes geopolitical contest.

 

Layered on top of that are the politics of personality - particularly the turbulent relationship between Thaksin Shinawatra and Hun Sen. At one point, they were tightly aligned; Hun Sen even welcomed Thaksin as an adviser and offered him refuge during his exile. But that closeness later soured.

 

Speculation suggests that Thaksin may have offered Cambodia a greater share of the OCA’s oil revenues, possibly in a bid to secure political or personal favours. When negotiations stalled and political winds shifted, Hun Sen retaliated with a very public display - posting photos of Thaksin and his sister Yingluck staying in luxury at a Cambodian villa. It was a clear signal: personal alliances have their limits, and Cambodia wasn't going to play second fiddle.

 

This falling-out made things worse. With tensions rising, both countries found it harder to come to any meaningful agreement over the OCA. Hun Sen seemed increasingly determined to assert Cambodia’s sovereignty and avoid appearing manipulated by a former Thai prime minister with his own agenda. Meanwhile, Thailand remained deeply divided at home, with Thaksin’s actions abroad only adding fuel to the fire. The dispute over the OCA, once a technical matter of maritime law, had become tangled in scandal, ego, and the promise of oil money - turning an already fragile border into a flashpoint of regional power games.

 

 

In summary, the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute may appear to centre on map lines and ancient temples, but beneath the surface it’s driven by casino empires, tolerance of cross-border crime, backroom deals over oil in the Overlapping Claims Area, and a once-chummy political relationship between Thaksin and Hun Sen that has since turned bitter - fuelled by power, profit, and personal betrayal - Ego's are costing lives.

On 7/24/2025 at 12:07 PM, Cameroni said:

 

Well, for a start it's nonsensical because Cambodia has no hope of winning any war with Thailand. 

 

It's just silly.

There will be no winners, just lots of dead people... and nothing gained other than maybe some old temples.

Just now, JensenZ said:

There will be no winners, just lots of dead people... and nothing gained other than maybe some old temples.

 

No doubt they will soon make some kind of agreement. A war would not benefit either party.

On 7/24/2025 at 11:53 AM, Caldera said:

Oops, that escalated quickly this morning.

 

What a nonsensical conflict, I'm really sad for each and every civilian on both sides who is hurt or killed as a result. 

Yes the Generals, Majors and politicians will be safe in there bunkers will innocent civilians on both side are wounded and killed.

17 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Video from Thai media showing a F16 bombing attack on military positions.

 

 

 

 

White smoke? What are they dropping?

2 minutes ago, JensenZ said:

There will be no winners, just lots of dead people... and nothing gained other than maybe some old temples.

Old temples to foreigners.

A cultural heritage to Thais.

 

Even my wife, who isn't a staunch follower of Buddhism, is outraged that Cambodia can claim any rights to the Preah Vihear temple, which was built over centuries by the Khmer Empire.

34 minutes ago, Jiggo said:

Yes the Generals, Majors and politicians will be safe in there bunkers will innocent civilians on both side are wounded and killed.

You might have read, they are evacuating the danger zones, so hopefully, innocent civilians will be spared.

26 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

Old temples to foreigners.

A cultural heritage to Thais.

 

Even my wife, who isn't a staunch follower of Buddhism, is outraged that Cambodia can claim any rights to the Preah Vihear temple, which was built over centuries by the Khmer Empire.

Why would your wife be outraged that Cambodia can claim the right to a temple that a Cambodian Empire built in the first place? 

 

In Brief:

 

The Khmer Empire was a powerful Southeast Asian civilisation centred in present-day Cambodia. While it controlled a vast territory that included parts of modern-day Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam, it was fundamentally a Cambodian empire, with its heartland and capital, Angkor, located within Cambodia. The Khmer people, who are the direct ancestors of modern Cambodians, were the empire's rulers and builders

On 7/24/2025 at 9:33 AM, Georgealbert said:

due to reports of anti-personnel landmines being used by Cambodian troops.

 Denied by Cambodia.

 

However Thailand (? Air Force) has been using cluster weapons (?bombs) - reference:

 

A spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense has confirmed that in the fighting on July 25, 2025, the Thai army launched attacks on 7 locations using heavy weapons and cluster munitions, which are prohibited by international law.

 

The use of such weapons not only shows the cruelty and inhumanity of Thailand’s aggression, but also reflects that Thailand has no respect for international humanitarian law and the most basic norms that govern Thai civilized behavior.”

 

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501724820/ministry-of-national-defense-thai-army-launched-attacks-on-7-locations-using-cluster-munitions-which-are-prohibited-by-international-law-and-is-a-war-crime/

5 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

 Denied by Cambodia.

 

However Thailand (? Air Force) has been using cluster weapons (?bombs) - reference:

 

A spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense has confirmed that in the fighting on July 25, 2025, the Thai army launched attacks on 7 locations using heavy weapons and cluster munitions, which are prohibited by international law.

 

The use of such weapons not only shows the cruelty and inhumanity of Thailand’s aggression, but also reflects that Thailand has no respect for international humanitarian law and the most basic norms that govern Thai civilized behavior.”

 

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501724820/ministry-of-national-defense-thai-army-launched-attacks-on-7-locations-using-cluster-munitions-which-are-prohibited-by-international-law-and-is-a-war-crime/

You mean just like Cambodia targeting a Thai hospital?

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Both good historical summaries of the original 'agreements / disagreements' and why lines on a map are contested....

 

However, the issue has become politically nuanced....

 

Along the Thailand-Cambodia border, especially in places like Poipet and Koh Kong, a lot more is going on than meets the eye. These areas have become hubs for call centres, online scam operations, and casinos, many of them operating in legal grey zones. Cambodia has profited heavily from these industries, often turning a blind eye to the criminal networks behind them. From Thailand’s perspective, these operations - many targeting Thai citizens - have created real tension, fuelling distrust and feeding into wider border security issues.

 

But, the border dispute isn’t just about where the line is drawn on a map - it’s also deeply tied to potential oil and gas riches in the Overlapping Claims Area (OCA) in the Gulf of Thailand. Both countries have long claimed this stretch of sea, which is believed to hold vast untapped reserves. The OCA became more than a territorial issue - it’s about who gets to control and profit from the energy beneath it. This adds weight to the broader border tensions, fuelling nationalist rhetoric on both sides and complicating any efforts at peaceful resolution. The promise of oil has turned what might otherwise be a manageable land or maritime boundary dispute into a high-stakes geopolitical contest.

 

Layered on top of that are the politics of personality - particularly the turbulent relationship between Thaksin Shinawatra and Hun Sen. At one point, they were tightly aligned; Hun Sen even welcomed Thaksin as an adviser and offered him refuge during his exile. But that closeness later soured.

 

Speculation suggests that Thaksin may have offered Cambodia a greater share of the OCA’s oil revenues, possibly in a bid to secure political or personal favours. When negotiations stalled and political winds shifted, Hun Sen retaliated with a very public display - posting photos of Thaksin and his sister Yingluck staying in luxury at a Cambodian villa. It was a clear signal: personal alliances have their limits, and Cambodia wasn't going to play second fiddle.

 

This falling-out made things worse. With tensions rising, both countries found it harder to come to any meaningful agreement over the OCA. Hun Sen seemed increasingly determined to assert Cambodia’s sovereignty and avoid appearing manipulated by a former Thai prime minister with his own agenda. Meanwhile, Thailand remained deeply divided at home, with Thaksin’s actions abroad only adding fuel to the fire. The dispute over the OCA, once a technical matter of maritime law, had become tangled in scandal, ego, and the promise of oil money - turning an already fragile border into a flashpoint of regional power games.

 

 

In summary, the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute may appear to centre on map lines and ancient temples, but beneath the surface it’s driven by casino empires, tolerance of cross-border crime, backroom deals over oil in the Overlapping Claims Area, and a once-chummy political relationship between Thaksin and Hun Sen that has since turned bitter - fuelled by power, profit, and personal betrayal - Ego's are costing lives.

This is all very interesting.  But somehow you omit those who actually ordered the shooting - the generals. 

 

You can now hear the artillery eben 20km north of Surin (A meuang).