Thailand has reported its first civilian death from a Cambodian rocket attack after eight days of intense fighting, as Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirmed there are no plans for a ceasefire.
“There was no plan nor agreement by the Thai government for a ceasefire with our enemy as of 10pm last night,” Anutin said in a Facebook post on December 14, following a call by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for both sides to halt hostilities.
“Thailand stands firm in its determination to preserve, protect, and defend the integrity of our land and our people at all costs,” he added.
The civilian, a 63-year-old villager in the Kantaralak district of Si Sa Ket province, was killed when a BM-21 rocket launched by Cambodia struck a residential area. Nine other Thai civilian deaths during the conflict were due to pre-existing medical conditions. A Thai soldier was also killed in the same district, bringing the total number of Thai military fatalities to 16, with 327 others wounded. Cambodia has not released details of its military casualties.
The Thai Foreign Ministry lodged a protest with the United Nations human rights agency, accusing Cambodia of indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas.
Thailand’s navy imposed a curfew on December 14 in five districts in the south-eastern Trat province along the Cambodian border, while a curfew had already been in effect in parts of the north-eastern Sa Kaeo province.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet praised the “strength and unity” of his country and urged citizens to support the army in protecting Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Cambodian authorities reported 11 civilian deaths on their side, and over half a million people have been displaced since fighting resumed along the 800-km border on December 7, marking the most serious escalation since July.
The renewed clashes disrupted the “Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords” brokered by former US President Donald Trump in October, which had outlined steps for troop and heavy weapons withdrawal. Thailand suspended parts of the agreement in November after four soldiers were injured by a landmine, which the Thai army blamed on Cambodia—a claim Phnom Penh denied.
Observers say Anutin’s hardline stance and nationalist rhetoric may bolster his popularity and that of his Bhumjaithai Party ahead of Thailand’s general election, tentatively scheduled for early February, although a December survey indicated a slight decline in his support. The government has also faced criticism for its slow response to some of the worst floods in southern Thailand in decades.
