Name: Exclusive access to the Thai‑Cambodia border under fragile ceasefire
Uploaded: 2025-12-29T07:42:18.037Z
Duration: 2 min 27 s
Description: Al Jazeera gains rare access to the frontline of the Cambodia-Thailand conflict where tensions remain high.

Al Jazeera gains rare access to the frontline of the Cambodia-Thailand conflict where tensions remain high.

Bangkok

Al Jazeera gained rare access to the Thai-Cambodia border, an area recently marked by intense fighting between Cambodian and Thai forces. The ceasefire agreement currently in place has halted further military advances, but Thai troops remain inside Cambodian territory, and the situation remains tense.

Civilians have largely abandoned the area due to safety concerns, with villages left empty and homes damaged by conflict. While some residents risk brief returns, the threat of unexploded ordnance and the unresolved status of the border continue to prevent a full return to normalcy.

Exclusive access to the Thai‑Cambodia border under fragile ceasefire

This was once the front line between Cambodian and Thai forces. Now the road is scarred by war, cratered by mortar fire, littered with shrapnel and spent bullet casings. The physical remains of weeks of fighting. From makeshift bunkers, outgunned and outmanned by Thailand's military, but refusing to abandon their positions. Still, Cambodia has lost territory. On foot, we crossed into no man's land between the two sides and from here Thai troops are visible. That behind me is a flag of Thailand flying on Cambodian territory. Under the ceasefire agreement both militaries stop exactly where they are, they don't move forward and they don't send reinforcements. Right now we are in the territory between Cambodian troops and the troops of Thailand. But it leaves a critical question unanswered, whether Thai forces will pull back or remain inside Cambodia. The tension here is constant, these men cannot leave their posts. There are no civilians here, people are afraid to return or even come this close to the border. Villages are abandoned, streets silent. Some residents risk brief visits to see what remains of their homes, often riddled with shrapnel with steel twisted by explosions. If they stop shooting I will return home, if they don't I will stay in the camp. Some families try to protect themselves by digging bunkers, but when the fighting intensified they were forced to flee. Many left in a hurry, even abandoning their pets. These young men tell us they've returned briefly to make charcoal then leave again. The danger is still real, an exploded ordnance remains scattered across the area. Few people venture back and none stay long. For now the ceasefire is holding, there is still no resolution to the deeper causes of this conflict. But the longer the guns remain silent the greater the chance this fragile calm can turn into lasting peace. Asad Beg, Al Jazeera from the Cambodia-Thailand border.

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