Royal Thai Navy launches major operation as border clashes with Cambodia escalate

The Royal Thai Navy has launched a major operation along the Chanthaburi–Trat section of the Thai–Cambodian border as fighting with Cambodian forces expands, the Chanthaburi–Trat Border Defence Force said on December 10.

The operation, known as “Trat Prap Porapak” (Trat Suppresses Foes), brings together naval, air and ground units, Caliber.Az reports, citing Thai media.

The Navy has taken charge of intensified security measures in its sector amid widening clashes.

The HTMS Thepa has been deployed to conduct continuous patrols and surveillance, with its crew placed on full combat readiness and weapons systems fully armed.

The Navy has advised Thai fishing boats to avoid the maritime boundary with Cambodia and to report any sighting of Cambodian naval vessels to the Naval Operations Centre.

On 9 December, HTMS Thepa provided naval gunfire in support of ground forces, striking positions on the Cambodian side during an operation to retake the “Ban Sam Lang” area near Ban Nong Ri.

Thai forces have destroyed about 80% of Cambodian strongpoints in the area, the report said. Royal Thai Marines also burned and demolished three houses and suspected bunkers believed to have been used as weapons and ammunition depots.

The Navy said the operation is continuing, as Cambodian troops have dug in with bunkers and trenches and are using heavy weapons and artillery against Thai forces, preventing the Chanthaburi–Trat Border Defence Force from fully securing the area.

The ongoing clashes along the Chanthaburi–Trat section of the Thai–Cambodian border stem from a long-standing territorial dispute dating back to the early 20th century. Colonial-era boundaries drawn under French rule in 1907 left several areas contested, including land surrounding ancient temples such as Preah Vihear and Ta Muen Thom, which both countries claim.

Efforts to resolve the dispute peacefully, including the establishment of a Joint Boundary Commission, have repeatedly stalled amid rising nationalist sentiment and political tensions in both nations. In 2025, the situation escalated after a landmine incident injured a Thai soldier and exchanges of rocket fire triggered renewed clashes.

 By Aghakazim Guliyev