Ceasefire tested as Cambodia denies Thai border fire claims
Preah Vihear Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site atop the Dangrek Mountains, survived two rounds of armed clashes in July and December last year. KT/Ben Sokhean
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Synopsis: A reported exchange of fire along the Cambodia–Thailand border has exposed the fragility of the ceasefire, with Phnom Penh rejecting Bangkok’s claims and analysts urging Thai troop withdrawal to prevent renewed clashes.
The alleged brief exchange of fire between Cambodian and Thai troops amid a ceasefire has underscored the fragility of the truce between the two countries. Experts say tensions can only be meaningfully reduced if Thai troops withdraw from Cambodian territory.
Cambodia on Tuesday denied “any use of weapons” after Thailand on the same day said its troops exchanged fire with Cambodian troops along the border.
Thailand’s military said Cambodian forces “fired a single 40 mm grenade round” near a Thai patrol in the border province of Sisaket on Tuesday, according to a statement.
“Following the incident, Thai forces responded by firing an M79 (grenade launcher) in the direction from which the shot originated … as a warning and for self-defence,” it added.
The Thai army, citing a preliminary assessment, said the “incident may have resulted from a rotation of Cambodian troops, with new personnel lacking familiarity with regulations and command control”.
In a press release dated February 24, 2026, Ministry of National Defence spokeswoman Lieutenant General Maly Socheata denied the accusation and urged the Thai side to stop disseminating what she described as false information that could lead to misunderstanding and heightened tensions along the border.
Citing information from the 4th Military Region of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, Socheata said that after hearing reports of explosions and gunfire originating from the Thai side, liaison teams from Cambodia’s 4th Military Region and Thailand’s 2nd Army Area immediately got in touch for clarification.
Cambodian military officials clearly informed their Thai counterparts that their troops had not fired any weapons as alleged, the statement said.
Asian Vision Institute President Chheng Kimlong said the fragility of the second ceasefire is very obvious at the moment, but Cambodia cannot be faulted for it.
“The ceasefire has been fragile because Thailand is trying to manipulate the situation, specifically to make its invasion of Cambodia legitimate,” he said. “It is not unusual that Thailand even spread fake news to realise that objective.”
Kimlong said that such actions go against Thailand’s diplomatic statements which describe the country as a “good neighbour”.
“As long as Thailand keeps implementing such backward diplomacy, the heat will never go down, and another military clash will be inevitable.”
International Relations Institute Director Kin Phea also blamed Thailand’s “provocative behaviour” for the fragile ceasefire.
“Occupying Cambodian territory, installing containers and barbed wires and using weapons in Cambodian territory keep increasing the heat of the dispute and will one day renew the violence,” he said.
“Thailand must immediately halt all these actions and stop creating scenarios to blame the Cambodian army. The best context for peace comes from Thailand withdrawing troops and weaponry from Cambodia’s land and returning to bilateral negotiations, which Thailand itself used to call for, to work on the demarcation between the two countries.”
-Khmer Times-
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