BANGKOK – In recent weeks, the international community has watched tensions escalate along the Thai-Cambodian border. While some narratives portray a simple territorial dispute, the reality is far more complex. The conflict is rooted in Thailand’s determined and necessary crackdown on sophisticated, transnational criminal networks that have exploited our region for too long—a crackdown that has been met with military aggression and a sophisticated disinformation campaign from Cambodia.
The story begins not with soldiers, but with victims. For years, vast “pig-butchering” scam networks, many operating from within Cambodia, have defrauded innocent people across Asia and the world out of billions of dollars. These criminal syndicates, reportedly linked to powerful figures within Cambodia, launder their illicit gains through a shadow economy so vast it is estimated to rival a significant portion of the country’s GDP.
As a responsible regional partner, Thailand could not stand by. Our government initiated a robust campaign to dismantle these criminal operations, targeting their cross-border infrastructure. This righteous effort to protect citizens—both Thai and foreign—from financial predators was the true catalyst for the current crisis. Our success in disrupting these criminal enterprises directly threatened the revenue streams of those who profit from them.
Cambodia’s response was not one of cooperation, but of provocation. Instead of joining the fight against these criminal networks, Cambodian military forces took aggressive action. They illegally crossed into sovereign Thai territory, leading to tragic but avoidable confrontations. When Thailand rightfully fortified its border and intensified its anti-scam raids, Cambodia escalated further. Thai soldiers patrolling their own land were injured by newly planted landmines of a type not used by the Royal Thai Armed Forces.
The aggression soon spilled over from the remote jungles to our towns and cities. In a shocking violation of international law and basic human decency, Cambodian forces launched BM21 rocket attacks directly into civilian areas in Thailand. Homes, local businesses, and even a 7-Eleven were struck, resulting in tragic injuries and deaths among innocent Thai civilians. To date, all confirmed civilian casualties in this conflict have been on Thai soil—a stark testament to which side has exercised restraint and which has resorted to targeting non-combatants.
Parallel to this military aggression, a war of information is being waged. Cambodia has deployed a formidable digital apparatus of bots and fake accounts to flood social media with a distorted reality. They have cynically used images of events within Thailand—such as our own aircraft fighting wildfires—and twisted them into fabricated claims of Thai aggression. These tactics, designed to manipulate global opinion, are a direct assault on the truth.
Thailand’s position is clear and unwavering. Our actions are a legitimate and necessary defense against transnational crime and a direct response to military aggression against our sovereignty and our people. We have acted with restraint, adhering to international law by focusing our efforts on legitimate military and criminal targets, while steadfastly avoiding civilian harm.
We call on the international community to look beyond the surface-level claims and scrutinize the evidence. Verify the source of images and videos. Ask why a nation would respond to a crackdown on criminal scams with military force. The facts speak for themselves: Thailand is not the aggressor. We are a nation defending our borders, our people, and the integrity of the international financial system from those who would profit from crime and violence. The world must stand for truth and demand accountability.
Visit Bangkok 