Thailand strikes building in Cambodia’s border casino hub
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Poipet is a major land crossing between the two nations that are engaged in renewed border clashes.
PHOTO: AFP
PHNOM PENH – Thailand on Dec 18 bombed a building in a Cambodian casino town and major crossing between the two nations, as foreign powers pressured them to halt the reignited border clashes.
Thai fighter jets dropped three bombs in an area of Poipet city, a bustling casino hub popular with Thai gamblers, on the morning of Dec 18, the Cambodian Interior Ministry said in a statement.
The attack damaged a warehouse and other property, leaving two civilians with minor injuries, it said.
Thai air force spokesman Jackkrit Thammavichai told reporters the strike destroyed a “logistics centre” used to store rockets.
“These are facilities that have been used for military purposes,” he said.
The renewed fighting between the South-east Asian neighbours
The conflict stems from a territorial dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of their 800km border and a smattering of ancient temple ruins situated on the frontier.
Each side has blamed the other for instigating the fresh fighting, claiming self-defence and trading accusations of attacks on civilians.
Thailand said on Dec 16 that between 5,000 and 6,000 Thai nationals remained stranded in Poipet after Cambodia closed its land border crossings with its neighbour.
Cambodia’s Interior Ministry said the border closures were a “necessary measure” to reduce risks to civilians amid the ongoing combat, adding that air travel remained an option for those seeking to leave.
At least four casinos in Cambodia have been damaged by Thai strikes, the Interior Ministry said this week.
‘Shuttle-diplomacy’
Five days of fighting between Cambodia and Thailand in July killed dozens of people before a truce was brokered by the US
US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly intervened in the longstanding conflict in 2025, claimed last week that the two countries had agreed to a new ceasefire.
But Bangkok denied any truce had been agreed on, and fighting with artillery, tanks, drones and jets has continued daily since a border skirmish earlier in December sparked the latest round of conflict.
China said it was sending its special envoy for Asian affairs
Foreign ministers from Asean nations are due to meet on Dec 22 in Malaysia for emergency talks aimed at finding a diplomatic solution.
“Our duty is to present the facts, but more important is to press upon them that it is imperative for them to secure peace,” Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told journalists late on Dec 17.
“We are appealing to them to immediately stop this front-line offensive and if possible, an immediate ceasefire,” Datuk Seri Anwar said at his official residence in Putrajaya, adding that he was “cautiously optimistic” about the talks.
European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas said in a statement that she had spoken with the foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand on Dec 17, offering the European Union’s support for ceasefire monitoring with satellite imagery.
“The conflict between Thailand and Cambodia must not be allowed to spiral further.
“That’s why the ceasefire needs to be immediately restored,” Ms Kallas said. AFP
