Bangkok [Thailand], December 16: Thai military aircraft are accused of bombing areas less than a two-hour drive from the Angkor temple complex, according to the Khmer Times , citing an update from the Cambodian military.
In an official statement, the Cambodian Ministry of Defense said a Thai fighter jet dropped bombs near a civilian refugee camp in Srei Snam district of Siem Reap province. AFP quoted Cambodian Information Minister Neth Pheaktra as saying this was the first time since fighting resumed that the Thai military had conducted airstrikes in areas of Siem Reap province, home to the Angkor temple complex.
Neth Pheaktra stated that Thai fighter jets had penetrated more than 70 km into Cambodian territory. Meanwhile, according to Cambodian Ministry of Defense spokesperson Maly Socheata at a press conference, it is noteworthy that the number of fighter jets and cluster bombs used by the Thai military to attack Cambodia is significantly increasing.
A Thai naval official said the military is also considering restricting Thai vessels from entering "high-risk zones" within Cambodian territorial waters. According to the official, if implemented, the restrictions would be carefully calculated to avoid impacting maritime transport from other countries.
Thai Defense Ministry spokesman Surasant also updated the border situation, stating that fighting is still ongoing at least nine locations along the border, with intense artillery exchanges reported along four border provinces, including coastal areas.
In another development, a special meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers, where top diplomatic officials from these countries could meet, scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, today (December 16), has been postponed at the request of Thailand, according to Reuters, citing a statement from the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, but it has now been postponed until December 22.
Also yesterday, Thai media outlets, including Thai PBS, PPTV, and Prachathai, reported that the country would hold parliamentary elections on February 8, 2026. However, an official from the election commission stated that meetings were still underway to determine the election date.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
