Conflict catalog

2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Conflict: Weapons and Equipment

Border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia escalated in July 2025 and flared again later that year along disputed frontier areas.

The 2025 2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Conflict is a renewed armed confrontation along disputed sections of the two countries' roughly 800-kilometer land border. Fighting escalated from a May skirmish and July landmine incidents into five days of artillery, rocket, drone, and airstrike exchanges in July, followed by a fragile ceasefire, an October peace declaration, and renewed clashes in November and December.

This catalog tracks sourced weapon and equipment use in the recent Thailand-Cambodia border fighting.

Entries are limited to systems with direct documentation connecting them to the conflict.

13 weapon systems

Conflict Actors

Thailand / Cambodia

Thailand

7 weapon systems in this catalog
  • Thailand

Cambodia

6 weapon systems in this catalog

Context

Status
Published catalog
Location
Thailand-Cambodia border, centered on the Dangrek Mountains and disputed temple areas near Surin, Sisaket, Oddar Meanchey, and Preah Vihear
Countries
Thailand, Cambodia
Regions
Surin, Sisaket, Ubon Ratchathani, Oddar Meanchey, Preah Vihear, Banteay Meanchey
Domains
land, air, missile strikes, UAV, mine warfare, border clashes

The catalog is currently narrow because only directly documented equipment use is included. Available sourcing supports a land-border fight shaped by artillery and rocket fire, Thai airpower, reported UAV activity, mines, and armored mobility; the connected weapon entry documents Thailand's Ukrainian-built BTR-3E1 armored personnel carriers near the Poipet-Khlong Lek crossing and later border combat reporting.

Map

Thailand-Cambodia border, centered on the Dangrek Mountains and disputed temple areas near Surin, Sisaket, Oddar Meanchey, and Preah Vihear

Open map

Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.

Timeline

Key Events

  1. Fatal border skirmish raises tensions

    A Cambodian soldier was killed in an earlier confrontation, after which both governments increased diplomatic and military pressure along disputed border areas.

    Sources: CSIS: Thailand launches airstrikes amid border dispute, WHO: Cambodia-Thailand PHSA

  2. Landmine blast triggers diplomatic rupture

    A landmine incident wounded Thai soldiers and led Thailand to withdraw its ambassador, expel Cambodia's envoy, close border crossings, and place forces on higher alert.

    Sources: AP: July 2025 border clashes

  3. Open fighting and airstrikes begin

    Thai and Cambodian forces fought in multiple contested areas with small arms, artillery, rockets, drones, and Thai F-16 airstrikes; both governments blamed the other for initiating the escalation.

    Sources: AP: July 2025 border clashes, CSIS: Thailand launches airstrikes amid border dispute

  4. Malaysia hosts an immediate ceasefire

    Malaysia hosted talks that produced an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, while ASEAN foreign ministers urged restraint, negotiations, and an end to hostilities.

    Sources: AP: Ceasefire holds despite skirmishes, ASEAN: Foreign ministers' statement

  5. Kuala Lumpur declaration formalizes monitoring

    The Cambodian and Thai prime ministers signed a joint declaration in Kuala Lumpur, witnessed by the United States and Malaysia, calling for ASEAN observer monitoring, heavy-weapon removal, demining, and prisoner release steps.

    Sources: White House: Kuala Lumpur joint declaration

  6. Peace implementation pauses after another mine blast

    Thailand paused implementation of the ceasefire after a landmine explosion injured Thai soldiers in Sisaket province; Cambodia denied laying new mines and attributed the blast to remnants of older conflicts.

    Sources: AP: November landmine and truce pause

  7. Large-scale fighting resumes

    A new border skirmish set off renewed large-scale fighting, with Thailand conducting airstrikes and Cambodia using BM-21 rockets during the December escalation.

    Sources: AP: December fighting resumes

  8. Second ceasefire signed

    Thailand and Cambodia signed another ceasefire calling for a halt to military movements and military airspace violations, with prisoner release tied to the truce holding.

    Sources: AP: December ceasefire agreement

Phases

May 28, 2025 - Jul 23, 2025

Pre-war escalation and mine incidents

A fatal May border skirmish, Cambodia's ICJ appeal, military buildup, and disputed mine incidents in July moved the long-running frontier dispute toward open conflict.

Jul 24, 2025 - Jul 28, 2025

July border combat

The conflict escalated into multi-sector border fighting involving artillery, rockets, drones, and Thai airstrikes around contested temple and crossing areas.

Jul 29, 2025 - Nov 9, 2025

Ceasefire, monitoring talks, and fragile implementation

A Malaysia-hosted ceasefire reduced large-scale combat but left disputed responsibility, mine clearance, prisoner release, and border demarcation issues unresolved; the October Kuala Lumpur declaration attempted to formalize monitoring and de-escalation.

Nov 10, 2025 - Dec 27, 2025

Renewed mine crisis and December fighting

Thailand paused the peace process after another mine blast, and renewed December clashes brought further airstrikes, rocket fire, and ground combat before a second ceasefire was signed.

External Support

No third-party combat coalition is documented for this catalog. The relevant external context is supplier and mediation related: Thailand operated Ukrainian-built BTR-3E1 armored vehicles in the conflict, while Malaysia, ASEAN observers, and the United States were involved in ceasefire diplomacy and monitoring arrangements.

Images

Stone ruins of Prasat Ta Muen Thom near the Thailand-Cambodia border
Prasat Ta Muen Thom, one of the disputed temple areas repeatedly cited in coverage of the 2025 border fighting.Ddalbiez / Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 3.0, 2.5, 2.0, or 1.0; GFDL also availableSource: Ddalbiez / Wikimedia Commons
Historic map showing the Thailand-Cambodia boundary in the Dangrek Mountains near Preah Vihear
Historic Annex I map extract showing the Dangrek Mountains boundary area central to the Preah Vihear dispute.H. Barrere / International Court of Justice reproduction, via Wikimedia Commons | Public domainSource: H. Barrere / International Court of Justice reproduction, via Wikimedia Commons

Weapons

2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Conflict Weapon Systems

Category

Aircraft & UAVs

Crewed aircraft, drones, and loitering munitions.

3/3
AT-6 Wolverine, Light attack and armed reconnaissance turboprop aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsAT-6 WolverineLight attack and armed reconnaissance turboprop aircraftSide: ThailandRole: UnknownBuilt: Textron Aviation Defense / United StatesTextron Aviation Defense's AT-6 Wolverine is the armed version of the T-6 family, a turboprop light attack and armed reconnaissance aircraft built around a digital cockpit, seven hardpoints, NATO-compatible weapons stations, and a combat-oriented sensor suite. Thailand's AT-6TH variant gives the catalog a documented conflict-use path through Royal Thai Air Force reporting on the 2025 border fighting with Cambodia.
F-16 Fighting Falcon, Multirole fighter aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsF-16 Fighting FalconMultirole fighter aircraftSide: ThailandRole: Airstrike platformBuilt: General Dynamics / Lockheed Martin / United StatesThe F-16 Fighting Falcon is a U.S.-designed single-engine multirole fighter family used for air defense, air-to-air combat, suppression support, and precision strike missions. This entry covers the F-16C/D production branch requested by the F-16C designation alongside F-16AM/BM MLU aircraft documented from Kosovo and Libya to Ukrainian service.
JAS 39 Gripen, Single-engine multirole fighter aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsJAS 39 GripenSingle-engine multirole fighter aircraftSide: ThailandRole: Airstrike support against border military positionsBuilt: Saab / SwedenThe JAS 39 Gripen is Saab's Swedish single-engine multirole fighter, designed for dispersed operations, quick turnaround, and air-to-air or air-to-ground missions. Thailand operates Gripen C/D aircraft and has documented 2025 combat use, while Brazil designates its Gripen E/F fleet as F-39 Gripen and is introducing both the single-seat Gripen E and two-seat Gripen F.

Category

Armored Vehicles

Troop carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and protected mobility.

1/1
BTR-3, 8x8 wheeled armored personnel carrier, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesBTR-38x8 wheeled armored personnel carrierSide: ThailandRole: Protected troop transport and border fire supportBuilt: Kyiv Armored Plant / UkrespectExport / UkraineThe BTR-3 is a Ukrainian 8x8 armored personnel carrier family derived from the Soviet-style wheeled APC layout but built around Ukrainian production and combat modules. Documented conflict use ranges from Ukrainian, Azerbaijani, Thai, Myanmar, and Sudanese inventories, with variants providing protected infantry mobility and turret fire support from 30 mm cannon, machine-gun, grenade-launcher, and anti-tank missile fits.

Category

Artillery

Tube artillery, rocket artillery, and long-range ground fires.

5/5
BM-21 Grad, 122 mm multiple rocket launcher, ArtilleryArtilleryBM-21 Grad122 mm multiple rocket launcherSide: CambodiaRole: Border rocket artillery barragesBuilt: Motovilikha Plants / Soviet defense industry / Soviet Union / RussiaThe BM-21 Grad is a Soviet 122 mm multiple rocket launcher built around a 40-tube launcher on a wheeled truck chassis. In the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War it remains a common area-fire system on both sides, valued for rapid salvos and mobility but dependent on shoot-and-scoot tactics because the launcher is carried on an unarmored truck.
M825A1 155 mm White-Phosphorus Smoke Projectile, 155 mm white-phosphorus smoke projectile, ArtilleryArtilleryM825A1 155 mm White-Phosphorus Smoke Projectile155 mm white-phosphorus smoke projectileSide: ThailandRole: Smoke and incendiary artillery fire against military targetsBuilt: Pine Bluff Arsenal / General Dynamics-Scranton AAP / United StatesThe M825A1 is a U.S. 155 mm separate-loading, base-ejection white-phosphorus smoke projectile introduced in March 1985 for screening and marking. Army material describes its 116 felt-wedge payload and 5-15 minute smoke-screen effect, while Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Thai PBS Verify document M825/M825A1-family combat use from Gaza to the Thailand-Cambodia border.
AR2 300 mm multiple rocket launcher, 300 mm wheeled multiple rocket launcher, ArtilleryArtilleryAR2 300 mm multiple rocket launcher300 mm wheeled multiple rocket launcherSide: CambodiaRole: Long-range rocket firesBuilt: Norinco / ChinaThe AR2 is Norinco's export designation for China's PHL-03 300 mm wheeled multiple rocket launcher, a long-range 12-tube system derived from the BM-30 Smerch pattern. Its public conflict record is clearest in Ethiopia, where Tigrayan forces captured Ethiopian AR2 launchers in November 2020 and Oryx reported their subsequent use against Ethiopian forces.
Mortars, Infantry and artillery mortar class, ArtilleryArtilleryMortarsInfantry and artillery mortar classSide: CambodiaRole: Cross-border mortar fire during ceasefire implementationBuilt: Various manufacturers / Multiple countriesMortars are short-barreled, high-angle indirect-fire weapons used by infantry, artillery units, and armed groups for close support, harassment, and attacks on positions behind cover. The catalog entry treats mortars as a broad weapon class because the direct conflict sources usually document mortar use without identifying exact calibers or models, including Philippine government support fires at Marawi, Hezbollah fire at Mount Dov, jihadist attacks in Mali and Sinai, FARC dissident improvised mortars in Colombia, 2023 Sudan War battlefield use, and Cambodia-accused cross-border fire.
60 mm mortar, Light infantry mortar, ArtilleryArtillery60 mm mortarLight infantry mortarSide: ThailandRole: Border-position mortar fireBuilt: Various manufacturers / Multiple countriesThe 60 mm mortar is a portable light-infantry indirect-fire class used for close support where crews need high-angle fire from a weapon lighter than larger battalion mortars. The caliber family spans many national models: direct conflict sourcing documents PKK 60 mm mortar use and recovered ammunition in the Kurdish-Turkish conflict, disputed Thai 60 mm mortar fire claims in the 2025 Thailand-Cambodia border fighting, and Yemen-linked interdiction of 60 mm mortar tubes assessed by the United States as intended for Houthi forces rather than confirmed battlefield firing.

Category

Infantry Weapons

Portable weapons used by soldiers and small units.

3/3
PMN-1/2/4, Antipersonnel blast mine family, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsPMN-1/2/4Antipersonnel blast mine familySide: CambodiaRole: Border-area antipersonnel mine hazardBuilt: Soviet and Russian state arsenals / Soviet Union / RussiaThe PMN-1/2/4 family covers Soviet and Russian pressure-activated antipersonnel blast mines used to deny foot movement and injure personnel at close range. PMN-1 and PMN-2 are Soviet designs, while PMN-4 is a later Russian circular plastic-cased mine; conflict-use records now connect PMN-family mines to Ukraine, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh-related minefields, and disputed PMN-2 incidents along the Thailand-Cambodia border.
Landmine, Explosive ground mine, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsLandmineExplosive ground mineSide: CambodiaRole: Disputed border mine incidentsBuilt: Various manufacturers / MultipleLandmines are ground-emplaced explosive munitions triggered by a person's or vehicle's presence, proximity, or contact, with battlefield roles ranging from route denial and obstacle protection to remote minefield laying. This class page covers conventional anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines, scatterable mines, directional fragmentation mines, and improvised victim-activated mines where sources directly document conflict use.
Type 69 RPG Launcher, Reusable shoulder-fired rocket-propelled grenade launcher, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsType 69 RPG LauncherReusable shoulder-fired rocket-propelled grenade launcherSide: CambodiaRole: Cambodian infantry shoulder-fired fire supportBuilt: Norinco / ChinaThe Type 69 RPG is a Chinese NORINCO-built derivative of the Soviet RPG-7, using a reusable 40 mm launch tube for over-caliber anti-armor and support rockets. The record now tracks direct Type 69 documentation across captured Taliban stocks in Afghanistan, Boko Haram materiel losses in Niger, Ukrainian training imagery, and Cambodian firing videos from the 2025 Thailand-Cambodia border clash.

Category

Tanks

Heavy armor built around direct fire, protection, and battlefield shock.

1/1
T-84 Oplot, Main battle tank, TanksTanksT-84 OplotMain battle tankSide: ThailandRole: Armored direct-fire supportBuilt: Malyshev Plant / Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau / UkraineThe T-84 Oplot is a Ukrainian main battle tank from the Kharkiv T-80UD diesel lineage, built around a three-person crew, autoloaded 125 mm KBA3 gun, 1,200 hp 6TD-series diesel powerpack, modular armor, and Ukrainian fire-control and countermeasure upgrades. Ukraine kept only a very small domestic fleet, while Thailand received the larger Oplot-T export batch; both Ukrainian BM Oplot and Thai Oplot-T tanks have direct conflict-use documentation in the catalog.

Conflict Sources

Source claims about battlefield responsibility remain contested, so the overview attributes disputed triggers and conduct conservatively. The equipment archive is intentionally limited to systems with direct conflict-use sourcing, not every platform reported in general news coverage.

  • AP: July 2025 border clashesPublisher: Associated Press | Note: Supports the July 23 landmine trigger, July 24 fighting, disputed responsibility, affected border areas, drones, rockets, artillery, and Thai airstrikes. | Accessed: 2026-06-20
  • AP: Ceasefire holds despite skirmishesPublisher: Associated Press | Note: Supports the July 28 Malaysia-hosted ceasefire, early ceasefire-violation allegations, displacement context, and U.S./Malaysia monitoring references. | Accessed: 2026-06-20
  • AP: November landmine and truce pausePublisher: Associated Press | Note: Supports the November mine incident, Thailand's pause in truce implementation, Cambodia's denial, and terms covering heavy weapons, landmines, and prisoner release. | Accessed: 2026-06-20
  • AP: December fighting resumesPublisher: Associated Press | Note: Supports the December 7 trigger, renewed large-scale fighting, Thai airstrikes, Cambodian BM-21 rocket fire, and ceasefire background. | Accessed: 2026-06-20
  • AP: December ceasefire agreementPublisher: Associated Press | Note: Supports the December 27 ceasefire terms, airspace and military-movement halt, and planned prisoner repatriation condition. | Accessed: 2026-06-20
  • WHO: Cambodia-Thailand PHSAPublisher: World Health Organization | Note: Supports the long-disputed 800-kilometer land border, May 2025 escalation, ICJ appeal, July confrontation, and affected Cambodian border provinces. | Accessed: 2026-06-20
  • CSIS: Thailand launches airstrikes amid border disputePublisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies | Note: Supports the long-running dispute context, May 28 skirmish, July 24 open conflict, Ta Muen Thom and Preah Vihear geography, and weapons-domain context. | Accessed: 2026-06-20
  • ASEAN: Foreign ministers' statementPublisher: ASEAN | Note: Supports ASEAN's July 28 call for restraint, ceasefire, negotiations, and ASEAN Chair facilitation. | Accessed: 2026-06-20
  • White House: Kuala Lumpur joint declarationPublisher: The White House | Note: Supports the October 26 joint declaration, ASEAN Observer Team, heavy-weapon removal, demining, border mechanisms, and U.S./Malaysia witness roles. | Accessed: 2026-06-20
  • UNITED24 Media: BTR-3E1s in ThailandPublisher: UNITED24 Media | Note: Supports the weapon-context note that Royal Thai Army BTR-3E1 armored vehicles, built in Ukraine, were documented near the Poipet-Khlong Lek border crossing during the conflict. | Accessed: 2026-06-20
  • Wikimedia Commons: Prasat Ta Muen Thom-019.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing for the Prasat Ta Muen Thom photograph. | Accessed: 2026-06-20
  • Wikimedia Commons: Preah Vihear Annex I mapPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain licensing for the historic Dangrek Mountains boundary map extract. | Accessed: 2026-06-20