Border skirmish leaves Thai soldiers injured by landmine detonation in tense Cambodia frontier.
In a troubling development, three Thai soldiers were wounded on August 9, 2025, after stepping on land mines in Sisaket province along the border with Cambodia. This incident, just over a month after the end of a five-day conflict that claimed at least 43 lives, has heightened tensions despite the ceasefire that took effect on July 29.
The incident occurred around 10am, with one soldier sustaining severe injuries to the back and arm, another with extreme pressure damage to the ear, and the third with a severe leg injury. The Royal Thai Military issued a statement regarding the blast, expressing concern over the continued use of land mines in the disputed border area.
This is the third land mine-related injury to Thai soldiers in about a month in this region. The use of land mines, which is a violation of the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines, to which both Thailand and Cambodia are signatories, has been a source of contention between the two countries.
The conflict that ended on July 29 involved jets, artillery, rockets, and infantry battles, forcing more than 300,000 people to flee combat areas on both sides of the border. The ceasefire was facilitated by US President Donald Trump, but border tensions and accusations of violations persist.
Following the conflict, a 13-point agreement to implement the truce was committed to by both Thailand and Cambodia in a meeting held in Malaysia. The agreement aims to maintain and extend the ceasefire, but border tensions and accusations of violations persist. The wounded soldiers remain a symbol of the ongoing fragile situation along the border.
Thailand's acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, is currently in Surin province. The military has issued warnings to Cambodia and suggested it may take self-defense actions if the planting of mines continues. The meeting of defense officials in Kuala Lumpur ended with a deal to extend the ceasefire, but the situation remains volatile.
References: [1] BBC News. (2025, August 10). Thai soldiers injured in land mine blast on border with Cambodia. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-58199833 [2] Reuters. (2025, August 10). Three Thai soldiers wounded in land mine blast on Cambodian border. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/three-thai-soldiers-wounded-land-mine-blast-cambodian-border-2025-08-10/ [3] The Nation. (2025, August 10). Thailand warns Cambodia over border mine planting. Retrieved from https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30400957 [4] The Diplomat. (2025, August 10). Thai-Cambodian Border Tensions Escalate as Land Mines Injure Three Soldiers. Retrieved from https://thediplomat.com/2025/08/thai-cambodian-border-tensions-escalate-as-land-mines-injure-three-soldiers/
- The ongoing border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia, heightened by the recent land mine incident that injured three Thai soldiers, have been a topic of general news and politics.
- Despite the ceasefire agreement facilitated by US President Donald Trump, episodes of violations such as the land mine incidents continue to raise concerns, particularly in the health-and-wellness category, as it resulted in injuries to Thai soldiers.
- In an effort to stem the escalating border disputes, a 13-point agreement was committed to by both Thailand and Cambodia in a meeting held in Malaysia, covering aspects of science, war-and-conflicts, and crime-and-justice, focusing on maintaining and extending the ceasefire.
- Thailand's acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, is currently handling the ongoing crisis in Surin province, emphasizing the need for self-defense actions if the planting of land mines continues, a violation of the Ottawa Convention and a source of contention in the region.
