I don't trust the US media on this because of their blind spot for deep history and religious history, ditto I distrust of Chinese influenced media, so here is an Indian news story:
Instead of googling this I asked Grok, who can scan all sort of news sites, what is going on. The Answer:
There is no ongoing war between Cambodia and Thailand as of July 25, 2025. However, recent deadly border clashes have escalated tensions, rooted in a century-long dispute over a shared 508-mile (817 km) border, particularly around ancient temples like Preah Vihear and Prasat Ta Muen Thom.
The conflict stems from differing interpretations of colonial-era maps drawn by the French in 1907, which placed key sites like Preah Vihear in Cambodia, a ruling upheld by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 1962, though Thailand contests surrounding areas.[](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/24/why-thailand-cambodia-border-clash-conflict)[](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/07/24/thailand-cambodia-border-conflict-explained/)[](https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/07/24/world/thailand-cambodia-border-clash) Tensions flared in May 2025 when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a skirmish, followed by tit-for-tat measures like Cambodia banning Thai imports and Thailand restricting border crossings.
On July 24, 2025, fighting erupted near Ta Muen Thom, with both sides accusing the other of firing first. Thailand reported 14-20 civilian deaths and one soldier, while Cambodia confirmed at least one civilian and one soldier killed. Thailand deployed F-16 jets, and Cambodia fired artillery, with allegations of war crimes on both sides, including damage to a hospital and Preah Vihear Temple.[](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/24/why-thailand-cambodia-border-clash-conflict)[](https://apnews.com/article/thailand-cambodia-border-conflict-explainer-0eb99510a4ea16ee769a5934e0c07383)[](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/07/24/thailand-cambodia-border-conflict-explained/)
Domestic politics and nationalism exacerbate the conflict. In Thailand, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s leaked call with Cambodia’s Hun Sen, where she appeared deferential and criticized her military, led to her suspension, fueling nationalist outrage. In Cambodia, Hun Sen, the de facto leader, may be using the conflict to bolster his son’s leadership.
Some X posts suggest Thailand’s crackdown on online scam operations, a significant part of Cambodia’s economy, may also be a factor, though this is unverified.[](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg1gdgy2pyo)[](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/world/asia/cambodia-thailand-conflict-timeline.html)[](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/07/24/why-are-thailand-and-cambodia-going-to-war/)
Both nations face economic pressures, including potential 36% US tariffs, which may amplify nationalist distractions. China, a major economic partner, has offered mediation, while ASEAN and the UN are urged to intervene. Despite the severity, the conflict remains localized, with no formal declaration of war, and past clashes (e.g., 2008-2011) have de-escalated quickly.[](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/24/why-thailand-cambodia-border-clash-conflict)[](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/24/what-we-know-about-clashes-on-the-thai-cambodian-border)[](https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/thailand-cambodia-border-dispute-07-24-25-intl-hnk)
Mainly posted for later reading in case I have to dig into this later.
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