Thailand said it exercised restraint and pursued diplomatic channels after a cross-border incident wounded a Thai soldier, testing a fragile ceasefire with neighboring Cambodia.
Bangkok accused Cambodian forces of violating a 10-day-old truce on Tuesday after mortar fire crossed into Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani province, injuring a Thai serviceman.
Cambodian authorities said an explosion from a “pile of garbage” injured two of their own soldiers and denied any intention to fire into Thai territory.
Thailand’s foreign ministry said Thai forces “did not retaliate,” opting instead to contact Cambodian counterparts to verify what happened.
The ministry added that Phnom Penh “claimed it was an accident,” while urging Cambodia to “prevent such incidents from recurring” and issue an apology.
The Thai army said the wounded soldier was hospitalized with non-life-threatening shrapnel injuries to his right arm.
In a separate statement, it said Cambodian officials later contacted a Thai military unit and said “there was no intention to fire into Thai territory,” adding that “the incident was caused by an operational error by Cambodian personnel.”
Thailand warned, however, that if a similar incident occurred, its forces may need to retaliate.
Cambodia’s defense ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata said two Cambodian soldiers were injured, one severely, when “an explosion occurred from a pile of garbage” while forces were performing “organization and orderliness” duties in Preah Vihear province, opposite Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani.
She said both sides’ border coordination teams had consulted on the incident and addressed the matter.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the government had lodged a protest with Phnom Penh, stating “the truce was violated.”
“At the military-to-military level, we have been told the incident was an accident, but we are seeking clarification on how responsibility will be taken,” Anutin told reporters in Bangkok.
The incident occurred in the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos meet. A Cambodian soldier was killed there in May, reigniting a long-running border dispute rooted in competing claims over a colonial-era demarcation and territory around ancient temple ruins.
Thailand and Cambodia agreed to a ceasefire on December 27 after weeks of fighting that killed dozens and displaced about one million people on both sides.
Under the truce, both countries pledged to halt fire, freeze troop movements, and cooperate on demining, though talks on border demarcation remain unresolved. – with reports from Agence France-Presse
