Of course, trouble at the 508-mile (817 km) shared border is nothing new. For over a century, Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points in the thick jungle punctuated with culturally-significant temples albeit with scant strategic or economic value.

Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery fire for a second day on Friday as their worst fighting in over a decade intensified and spread to new areas.

Tensions have bubbled between the two neighbors for months, flaring on Thursday as Cambodia and Thailand exchanged fire.

Thailand favours bilateral negotiation rather than third-party mediation to resolve its military conflict with Cambodia, two Thai officials said, as fighting along their disputed border continued unabated.

Does a viral clip show a fighter jet shooting down another one during July 2025 clashes between Thailand and Cambodia? No, that's not true: The video predates the violence that broke out in that region in late July of

But the fiery bout in Southeast Asia also marks a test for Washington's waning influence in a region viewed as a crucial theater in a geopolitical competition between the United States and China. "This crisis represents a critical test of American and Chinese influence in Southeast Asia,

Thailand's foreign ministry said on Friday it agrees in principle with a Malaysian proposal for a ceasefire between Thai and Cambodian forces and will consider the plan, but that it must be based on "appropriate on-the-ground conditions".