Cambodia Claims Thailand Deployed Chemical Weapons in Ongoing Border Clash

Amid the ongoing conflict along the Thai–Cambodian border, Cambodian authorities accused Thailand of using chemical weapons in border areas, according to a statement by the Cambodian Ministry of Defense published on its Telegram channel.

Cambodia Alleges Thailand Used Chemical Sprays

On December 15, 2025, Cambodia’s Ministry of Defense said that the Thai Air Force had used chemical weapons along the Thai–Cambodian border. According to the statement, Thai forces allegedly sprayed toxic gas in the area surrounding the Ta Krabei temple.

On December 17, Reuters reported that Cambodian soldiers described “toxic gas” pushing them to pull back from frontline positions following troubles breathing after a sortie by a Thai aircraft.

“It's like I was suffocating,” one soldier told Reuters as he lay in a hospital bed.

Other soldiers and police officers told Reuters that they experienced respiratory problems after Thai aircraft dropped what they described as “poisonous water.” 

Cambodian authorities have repeatedly claimed that the Thai military is using “toxic gas” and the Ministry of Defence described the alleged use of gas, among other tactics, as a violation of international law, but did not specify the substance involved, provide evidence, or indicate whether a formal complaint had been submitted to international bodies.

Thai Authorities Deny Cambodia’s Allegations

A Thai Air Force spokesperson told Reuters that the air force has never used chemical weapons and described the allegations as “fake news” intended to discredit Thai military operations.

“If it were chemical weapons, they wouldn't be experiencing difficulties breathing, they would have died,” the spokesperson told Reuters.

Thailand’s Government Public Relations Department issued a statement addressing what it described as “an interview aired by an international media outlet” featuring the president of the Club of Cambodian Journalists, in which allegations were made that Thailand used chemical weapons against Cambodians. 

The statement denied the claims, describing them as “fake news,” and said the allegations were “entirely unfounded and misleading.”

“Thailand does not and has never used chemical weapons against the Cambodian people or in any military operations.”

According to the statement, Thailand said it firmly adheres to international law and “remains committed to the protection of civilians and the principles of humanitarian conduct.”

Similar Allegations Emerged in July 2025

In July 2025, Cambodia accused Thailand of using white phosphorus munitions, which burn brightly to produce clouds of smoke, and described their use as chemical warfare. 

Thailand acknowledged possessing such munitions but stated they were not classified as chemical weapons under international conventions at the time and were intended for illumination and other approved purposes. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization noted that exposure to white phosphorus can be harmful to the eyes and respiratory system. 

A doctor at a hospital in Banteay Meanchey province reported treating around 20 soldiers with symptoms including dizziness, vomiting, and respiratory problems, though Cambodia did not specify whether these injuries were attributed to white phosphorus.

Reuters visited the soldiers, who were putting on oxygen masks. “They fired the poisonous smoke at our bases from the air to poison us,” one soldier told Reuters.

“A moment after the firing, I felt like I was suffocating, and my body suddenly weakening,” another soldier said.

In July, an image showing an aircraft spraying pink smoke was widely shared online, with claims that it depicted the Thai Air Force using a “poisonous smoke weapon.”

AFP debunked the photo of an aircraft releasing pink smoke and found it was originally published by Reuters on January 11, and shows efforts to extinguish the Palisades fire, the largest blaze during the Los Angeles wildfires, which lasted three weeks, killing at least 30 people, and forcing thousands to evacuate their homes.

The photo was captioned: “An air tanker drops fire retardant at the Palisades Fire, as seen from Woodland Hills, January 11.”

Following the allegations in July, Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly denied the claims, calling them “baseless.”

According to its statement, the ministry said Thailand remains fully committed to its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), condemns the use of chemical weapons “anywhere, by anyone, under any circumstances,” and adheres to all international instruments on disarmament and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The ministry said Thailand has demonstrated its commitment to the CWC through concrete actions and active collaboration with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and other CWC States Parties.

The statement also criticized what it described as a campaign of disinformation aimed at discrediting Thailand ahead of scheduled meetings with Cambodia. It called the accusations “groundless” and said they reflect a pattern of misinformation intended to distort facts and undermine Thailand’s credibility in the international community.

Dramatic Escalation in the Thai–Cambodian Conflict

Since December, Thailand and Cambodia have experienced renewed border clashes that have killed dozens people and displaced over half a million, marking the most intense fighting between the two countries in decades.

The border clash has triggered international attention after the clashes ended a ceasefire pushed by Donald Trump that ended five days of bloody clashes in July. 

Trump, who used the threat of trade tariffs as leverage to end the fighting, has also attempted to intervene in the latest clashes. Meanwhile, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told journalists that there was “no international pressure for a ceasefire.”

Thailand has called on Cambodia to take the first step in halting hostilities and urged “sincere” cooperation in clearing landmines in the border areas, while both countries continue to blame each other for instigating the clashes and cite self-defense.

On December 7, the border fighting prompted by longstanding rival claims to territory along their 817km (508-mile) land border, was reignited by a skirmish.

The border dispute escalated dramatically on July 24, when Cambodia launched a rocket barrage into Thailand, prompting Thai air strikes and triggering five days of intense fighting.

The renewed clashes this month have killed at least 21 people in Thailand and 17 in Cambodia, displacing around 800,000, according to officials.

In recent developments, Thailand reported bombing a logistics facility near the Cambodian town of Poipet, a major casino hub and the largest land crossing between the two countries. Cambodia’s Defense Ministry said Thai forces dropped two bombs, while Thailand stated the target was a facility storing rocket systems.

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