Curfews, civilian deaths and conflicting ceasefire claims mark Thailand-Cambodia conflict

Fresh fighting along the Thailand-Cambodia border intensified over the weekend, leaving at least one Thai civilian dead , forcing curfews in border provinces, and exposing sharp contradictions over claims that a ceasefire had been reached.

Thailand on Sunday reported its first confirmed civilian death directly linked to the past week’s fighting after a rocket fired from Cambodia struck a residential area in Sisaket province. The victim, a 63-year-old villager identified by the Thai Army as Don Patchapan , was killed in Kantharalak district near a school, authorities said.

Associated Press reporters who reached the site minutes after the impact witnessed the body being taken away on a stretcher, while a nearby house burned and shrapnel lay embedded in the road. Thai officials accused Cambodia of deliberately firing into civilian areas, calling the attack cruel and inhumane.

Both countries confirmed that large-scale hostilities continued on Sunday, stemming from a Dec. 7 skirmish that wounded two Thai soldiers. The fighting centres on long-disputed stretches of borderland, some containing centuries-old temple ruins claimed by both sides.

More than two dozen people have been reported killed over the past week, with hundreds wounded and more than half a million displaced across the 800-kilometre frontier, according to official figures and regional media reports.

Amid the escalating violence, Thailand’s military imposed a nighttime curfew in five districts of Trat province Khlong Yai, Bo Rai, Laem Ngop, Khao Saming and Mueang Trat effective immediately from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. The order followed a late Saturday incident in which three M79 grenades were fired at the headquarters of a Marine Corps task force in the province. No casualties were reported, and the grenades landed in an uninhabited area.

Trat became the second province placed under curfew since the latest round of clashes began, after similar restrictions were imposed earlier in four border districts of Sa Kaeo province.

The fighting has featured heavy weaponry on both sides. Thai authorities said Cambodia has fired thousands of truck-mounted BM-21 rockets, which have a range of up to 40 kilometres but lack precision. Thailand, meanwhile, has conducted airstrikes using fighter jets, while both sides have deployed drones for surveillance and bombing missions. A Thai navy warship also exchanged fire with Cambodian positions in Koh Kong province on Saturday, opening a new front in the conflict.

Thailand acknowledged that 15 of its soldiers have been killed, while estimating that at least 221 Cambodian troops have died. Cambodia rejected those figures as disinformation and has not confirmed any military casualties, though it said at least 11 civilians were killed and dozens wounded.

As fighting continued, diplomatic confusion deepened over ceasefire claims. US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Thai and Cambodian leaders had agreed to stop all shooting following conversations he held with both sides. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim separately appealed for hostilities to halt from 10 p.m. on Saturday.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul

, however, firmly denied that any ceasefire agreement had been reached. It was stated that Thailand had not agreed to halt operations and that no active ceasefire negotiations were underway. Similar silence on any truce was noted in official Cambodian statements following separate calls with Trump.

Thai Defence Minister Gen. Nattaphon Narkphanit

also said no ceasefire order had been issued to the armed forces and that military operations would continue until Cambodia clearly ceased all hostile actions.

Thailand’s clarification came after Cambodia accused Thai forces of continuing air attacks hours after Trump’s ceasefire announcement. The situation was described by Thai leaders as a misunderstanding, with emphasis placed on ongoing military-level communications rather than political statements.

Any genuine ceasefire, Thai officials said, would require a formal proposal submitted directly to Bangkok and a complete halt to military activity. It was stressed that a verbal announcement or partial suspension of fighting would not constitute a real truce.

The denial of a ceasefire contrasted sharply with Trump’s public statement that shooting would stop and that both sides would return to a previously brokered peace arrangement supported by Malaysia.

Despite those claims, clashes persisted. Thai authorities reported fresh Cambodian attacks in Ubon Ratchathani province on Saturday, where four Thai soldiers were killed during operations to retake the strategic Hill 677. Rockets were also reported to have landed in civilian areas, causing severe injuries.

With curfews expanding, civilian casualties mounting, and diplomatic signals sharply at odds, the border conflict shows no immediate sign of easing, even as international efforts to halt the fighting continue.