A rocket fired from Cambodia has hit a gas station in Thailand’s Sisaket province, killing six civilians and injuring 10 others, according to the Thai army.
Rocket Attack in Thailand Kills Six as Border Dispute with Cambodia Escalates
This attack is part of the growing military conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, which share a long and historically tense border.
Footage from the scene, verified by CNN, shows several wounded people lying outside a 7/11 store.
The store’s entrance was destroyed, its windows shattered, and smoke was seen rising from the area. In the video, bystanders can be seen rushing to help a person injured in the back of a pick-up truck.
The Thai army said the rocket was launched from Cambodian territory, striking the busy gas station without warning.
So far, at least nine people have been killed and more than a dozen injured across three provinces in Thailand — Sisaket, Surin, and Ubon Ratchathani — in similar attacks linked to this conflict.
The Thai Health Ministry reported that 11 civilians have been killed overall in these attacks. Among the dead is an eight-year-old boy.
Cambodia has not reported any casualties on its side.
Background of the Thailand Cambodia Border Dispute
Thailand and Cambodia have a long-shared border, which has often been disputed. Much of the border was drawn by French colonial authorities when they controlled Cambodia, and some areas have never been clearly marked.
The dispute has caused military clashes in the past, such as the 2011 fighting around the Preah Vihear temple, which led to at least 20 deaths and the displacement of thousands of people.
In the current conflict, the situation has been worsened by political issues in both countries. Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was recently suspended after a leaked phone call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen.
The call included comments that appeared to criticise the Thai army’s handling of the border situation.
Hun Sen, though officially retired, still holds significant power in Cambodia and has close historical ties to Paetongtarn’s family. Analysts say these personal rivalries are making the political and military situation worse.
Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political science professor from Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University, told CNN the conflict is likely to escalate.
“Each side has so much pent-up tension,” he said, warning that more military clashes could take place in the coming days.
He also said the dispute makes the ASEAN regional group look even weaker. ASEAN is a political and economic organization of Southeast Asian countries, which has already struggled with internal divisions and crises like the civil war in Myanmar.
“This is a family vendetta,” Pongsudhirak added, explaining how the feud between the Shinawatra and Hun families is now spilling over into regional politics.
Although Cambodia has previously asked the United Nations’ International Court of Justice (ICJ) to help resolve border issues, Thailand does not recognise the ICJ’s authority in these matters. This means that legal solutions are unlikely in the short term.
For now, communities on both sides of the border remain at risk, as rocket attacks and rising political tension continue to threaten the fragile peace between Thailand and Cambodia.