In December 2025, more than half a million civilians along either side of the Thailand and Cambodia border sheltered from bombardment. As of early 2026, the conflict’s impact remains ongoing, with millions of people displaced.
The months-long conflict began on May 28, 2025, following a skirmish between the Thai and Cambodian military troops. The two countries share a 508-mile border, and fighting was concentrated at the crux of a long-contested border area between the two nations, primarily the remote site and surrounding land of the ancient Preah Vihear temple in the Dangrek Mountains.
The dispute has its roots in a colonial-era map from 1907, which Thailand asserts is inaccurate and dates to when Cambodia was still under French control. Thailand has long maintained that the temple is within its territory. A 1962 ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) awarded sovereignty over the land to Cambodia, which the ICJ reaffirmed in 2013.
The fighting between the two countries reignited with full force in early December 2025, bringing the most vicious clashes since the countries fought for five days in July. Escalating military tensions and botched diplomatic negotiations, including a fragile-turned-failed ceasefire attempt endorsed by United States President Donald Trump, prolonged the conflict. On Dec. 27, 2025, Cambodia and Thailand agreed to a new ceasefire agreement that called for no new military advances. However, it remains to be seen whether the new agreement will hold amid ongoing border tensions.
At least in the month of December, Thailand reported that the renewed fighting resulted in the deaths of 26 soldiers and one civilian. While Cambodia didn’t release an official figure for military casualties, it stated in December that at least 30 civilians were killed. However, independent estimates suggest that the conflict resulted in the deaths of at least 101 people during the renewed aggression in November and December.
Alongside the military altercations, according to a report by the World Health Organization, the conflict has had significant humanitarian consequences, putting millions of civilians at risk. Immense community displacement has depleted local resources in both countries, disrupting daily life for civilians. In just the month of December, shortly after the fighting restarted, the Guardian reported that more than 400,000 Thai civilians and more than 101,000 in Cambodia were evacuated to shelters.
For Cambodia, the rate of displacement is unprecedented. According to a report from the Cambodian National Committee for Disaster Management, as of Dec. 15, over 421,100 people had been evacuated. While local authorities and various groups provided basic necessities to displaced families, the scale of the crisis continued to exceed the available resources, with needs for shelter, food, water, sanitation and healthcare insufficiently met.
In Thailand, while limited information is available, estimates indicate the conflict displaced over 437,000 people as of December 2025. International non-governmental organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called on the two countries to protect civilians, urging the governments to de-escalate the conflict and comply with international humanitarian law.
Health risks also endanger those affected by the fighting. Due to artillery exchanges, air strikes, and intense military confrontations, casualties and injuries have proliferated. Along with disease risk at displacement sites due to overcrowding, such as malaria and influenza, psychological distress as a result of exposure to violence, displacement and loss of loved ones also afflicts people. Additionally, both countries have faced infrastructure disruptions. In Thailand, at least 1168 schools and 212 hospitals closed. Moreover, an article by the Khmer Times reveals that, as of February 2026, more than 100,000 Cambodians remain unable to return home.
Although both countries have expressed a commitment to a peaceful resolution, negotiations have proven more complicated than anticipated. Although territorial claims are at the core of the conflict, the fighting has expanded to encompass diplomacy, trade and growing nationalist sentiment in both countries, complicating efforts to reach a mutual resolution. Different countries, along with the United Nations, demonstrated efforts to reach an agreement between the two countries. Malaysia played a large role in initially brokering a ceasefire in July, with pressure from Donald Trump, who threatened tariffs on the two nations. China also urged an end to hostilities. Additionally, both countries signaled a fierce commitment to the contested territory, unwilling to back down despite harm to citizens on either side of the border, resulting in continued hostility.
Cambodia’s Defense Minister, Tea Seiha, claimed that the December ceasefire would pave the way for displaced people living in border areas to return to their lives. Thailand’s Foreign Ministry also said the agreement included provisions for “joint humanitarian” operations to quickly “ensure the safety of military personnel and civilians in border areas.” With hardship continuing to afflict communities on both sides of the conflict severely, the humanitarian impact underscores the need for the governments of Cambodia and Thailand to take concrete steps to ensure the safety and continued security of their civilians at home.