Thailand Deploys Navy and Air Power in New Border Clash; Tens of Thousands Flee

Fighting on the Thai-Cambodian frontier has escalated into full-scale combat, prompting Thailand to activate a military operation codenamed "Trat Prap Porapak" (Trat Suppresses Foes), with naval and air assets placed on high alert.

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Cambodia and Thailand flags

Thai Army Strikes Electronic Warfare Tower

According to The Nation Thailand, the Border Defence Forces Command in the province of Trat confirmed that the country's Royal Navy has been granted expanded powers amid the renewed conflict. Early this morning, soldiers of the Royal Thai Army struck and destroyed a construction crane used by the Cambodian Armed Forces to mount an electronic warfare and signal-jamming tower near the Preah Vihear temple on the frontier.

HTMS Thepa Deployed for 24-Hour Patrols

To reinforce the area of operations, Thailand dispatched the warship HTMS Thepa for continuous patrol and reconnaissance. Military command stated that the entire crew remains at full combat readiness and that all weapons systems are prepared for immediate use. The clash follows a weekend of mutual accusations of ceasefire violations and reports of Thai Air Force strikes.

Mass Evacuations on Both Sides

The escalation has sparked the region's largest humanitarian crisis in years. Cambodian officials report that more than 54,500 people have fled artillery strikes on their territory. On the Thai side, authorities have evacuated around 400,000 residents of border provinces, with 125,000 now housed in temporary shelters.

Casualties Mount

The Second Army Region of the Royal Thai Ground Forces confirmed that the number of Thai military personnel killed in the fighting has risen to five, with 68 wounded.

Trump Offers to Mediate Again

Amid the escalating conflict, US President Donald Trump said he is ready to intervene as a mediator once more. Speaking in Pennsylvania, he recalled that the prime ministers of both countries signed a peace agreement in October under his initiative at the ASEAN summit.

"Cambodia, Thailand — it started today. Tomorrow I have to make a phone call… I'll call and stop the war,” the American leader said.

At the 47th ASEAN Summit in October, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed a joint declaration brokered by the US president. The document outlined a roadmap for peacefully resolving the border dispute, committing both sides to "reduce tensions, rebuild trust, and restore mutually beneficial relations.”