Thailand Halts Fuel Shipments Via Laos Amid Escalating Border Conflict With Cambodia

Reuters

A military truck carries a tank on a road amid deadly clashes between Thailand and Cambodia along a disputed border area, in Surin province, Thailand, 11 December 2025.

Thailand’s military announced on Monday that it has suspended fuel shipments through a key border checkpoint with Laos over concerns the supplies were being diverted to Cambodian forces, as fierce clashes continue along the Thai-Cambodian frontier.

Both countries confirmed ongoing confrontations at multiple points along their 817 km (508 mile) shared border, with no indication the fighting will ease despite international calls for a ceasefire, including appeals from U.S. President Donald Trump.

A special meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers — originally set for Tuesday and seen as an opportunity for direct talks — has been postponed to 22 December at Thailand’s request, Malaysia’s foreign ministry said.

The two neighbours have long disputed sections of their border, but officials describe the current scale and intensity of the hostilities — stretching from remote forested areas near the Laos border to coastal provinces — as unprecedented in recent decades.

More than 500,000 people have been displaced and at least 38 people on both sides have been killed over the past eight days, according to national authorities. The region also saw mass evacuations in July, before President Trump helped broker a temporary truce.

Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri, spokesperson for Thailand’s Defence Ministry, said the suspension of fuel shipments via the Chong Mek crossing was imposed after intelligence suggested the supplies were being redirected to Cambodian forces.

“Our intention is not to cause impacts on the Lao people or government,” he said. The Laotian Foreign Ministry has yet to comment.

Thai authorities are also considering restricting Thai vessels from entering “high-risk areas” in Cambodian waters, where they could come under fire, a navy official said, adding that foreign shipments would not be affected.

According to the Thai Defence Ministry, fighting is ongoing at at least nine locations along the border, with heavy exchanges across four provinces, including coastal areas.

Cambodia has accused Thailand of using drones, heavy artillery, and F-16 fighter jets in airstrikes on Siem Reap Province, home to Angkor Wat and the country’s second-largest city.

“The number of fighter jets and cluster bombs used by the Thai military has increased significantly,” said Maly Socheata, spokesperson for Cambodia’s Defence Ministry.

Both sides blame one another for the collapse of the Trump-brokered ceasefire, which had been expanded into a broader framework to settle the dispute in October.

Thailand maintains that any resolution must begin with Cambodian forces ceasing hostilities and presenting a clear ceasefire plan. Cambodia insists it is acting in self-defence in response to Thai military actions.

Source: Reuters



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