Sar Mory

What appear to be Thai tanks firing indiscriminately into a civilian area, with soldiers jeering as they fire on homes, comes across as a game. It is unclear what resistance is present here, but from this video, invading Thai forces are seen shelling and destroying the homes of Cambodian civilians in the Bung Trakuon area of Banteay Meanchey Province.

A civilian vehicle was struck by shrapnel from Thai shelling on the outskirts of Poipet this morning. Passengers inside were injured. This is what the Thai military calls “collateral damage.”

This is disgraceful. Thai social media influencer Gun Jompalaing is circulating images of himself holding torn Cambodian soldier patches and presenting them as a joke. In the context of an active conflict, this comes across as mocking the deaths of Cambodian soldiers. Turning symbols tied to loss of life into content for attention is deeply disrespectful. It fuels hatred, hardens public opinion, and pushes the situation further away from restraint or de-escalation. This behavior should be clearly and publicly condemned by Thai authorities.

I’ve been sharing news and commentary about the Cambodia–Thailand conflict, and I want to be transparent about how I’m approaching it. I assume misinformation exists on both sides. I’m sure I’ve shared some things that later turn out to be incomplete or wrong, because none of us has full visibility from a distance. A lot of what circulates comes from people near the front lines, local outlets, and official statements. Even international media often relies on those same networks, with limited independent access. What I do feel confident about is the human cost. There is real destruction in Cambodia, needless civilian deaths, and massive displacement. There have also been military losses on both sides, even if the numbers and details are still unclear. Thailand has taken losses too, including lives, property damage, and displacement. The scale is staggering, with reporting suggesting the combined displacement may be approaching one million people. That number should be enough to stop anyone from treating this as a clean story with clean heroes. I also struggle with the proportionality of what we’re seeing. Cambodia is the smaller country, and the force being used looks excessive against the stated goals. When civilian areas are hit, or when there are reports of homes being searched and property taken, or pillaged, it’s hard not to see a pattern of intimidation rather than restraint. From where I sit, it reads like bullying, and it makes me doubt that peace is the priority. On the landmine issue, I don’t know what to believe. Cambodia says it’s staged, Thailand says it’s proof of wrongdoing. Both claims carry obvious incentives. Planting new mines in areas Thai forces patrol would be reckless. At the same time, the incident was quickly used to justify a fresh round of fighting, and the response appears disproportionate to the trigger. That’s my opinion, and I’m holding it loosely because the facts are still contested. It’s also worth saying plainly that Thailand pushes its own narrative, just as Cambodia does. If misinformation is the concern, it can’t be treated as a one-sided problem. On a personal level, I care about the loss on both sides. I care about civilians, families, and children who end up trapped between decisions made far above them. I want lasting peace, even if that feels increasingly distant right now. The “scam compounds” narrative is another layer that complicates things. Anyone who’s followed me knows I’ve been outspoken about scam operations and trafficking in Cambodia and the region. The scale is serious, it’s tied to corruption and impunity, and it’s not abstract to me. The more I post about it, the more messages I get from desperate people trying to get out. Some participants are willing offenders, many are victims, and that mix is part of what makes the system so hard to confront. When Thailand says certain targets are tied to scam operations, alongside claims of military use, it becomes difficult to sort fact from justification. Cambodian officials sometimes deny both the military claim and the scam claim. Thailand’s choice of targets can look strategic, and it can also look like narrative-building. I can’t pretend I know which is true in every case. Finally, I live in Cambodia and have for 15 years. I’m not neutral, and I won’t pretend to be. I’m biased toward the country I’ve built a life in, and toward the people I know here. At the same time, I try to separate what I believe is factual from what is clearly opinion, and I try to keep my commentary grounded. I’m also operating in a place where speech has limits. Praise aligned with government messaging is safe. Public criticism can be interpreted as incitement or “causing unrest,” and that reality shapes what people can say openly. At the end of the day, my position is simple. I want this to stop. I want civilians protected. I want Thailand and Cambodia to step back from escalation and find a path to real stability, not just messaging wins.

In Ta Lei Village, Thai forces fired 33 rounds of 155 mm artillery between 7:00 and 10:50 this morning. One Cambodian civilian was killed. Seven others were injured, according to Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence. Thailand keeps insisting it only targets military positions. Dropping heavy artillery into a civilian village directly contradicts that claim. If you are that confident and proud of the “military targets only” narrative, hitting civilians like this does not just undermine it, it makes it look foolish.

Three different types of Thai fighter jets have now been used against a country with no air force. No air defense capability. No fighter jets. No combat aircraft. This is not air parity or deterrence. It is the repeated use of advanced air power against a state with no ability to respond in the air.

Not only is the Thai Air Force dropping bombs in Battambang today, strikes are also hitting O’Chrov District, injuring this young girl. This follows remarks by Anutin Charnvirakul, who said the aim of Thailand’s military action was “to disable Cambodia’s military capability for a long time.” Placed alongside airstrikes deep inside Cambodia and civilian injuries, that statement is not abstract. It describes intent, and it matches what is now happening on the ground.

Thailand’s aggressive approach and the level of force used against Cambodia suggest this goes far beyond a narrow claim of border defense and points to deeper objectives beneath the surface. The response is disproportionate, and that is increasingly visible. It does little to strengthen how Thailand’s narrative is perceived.

Thai troops reportedly fired rifles toward civilian residential buildings in Poipet this morning, triggering chaos on the ground. Some of the structures appear consistent with scam compounds.

What’s Thailand’s end goal here? This goes far beyond border protection. Is destroying Cambodian infrastructure the objective?