The current clashes erupted on Thursday with an exchange of fire near Prasat Ta Muen Thom, an ancient temple claimed by both nations. It followed two months of tensions over contested territory that began in late May after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a skirmish.

Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery fire for a second day on Friday as their worst fighting in over a decade intensified and spread to new areas.

Does a viral clip show a fighter jet shooting down another one during July 2025 clashes between Thailand and Cambodia? No, that's not true: The video predates the violence that broke out in that region in late July of

Of course, trouble at the 508-mile (817 km) shared border is nothing new. For over a century, Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points in the thick jungle punctuated with culturally-significant temples albeit with scant strategic or economic value.

Thailand has one of the best-equipped and trained air forces in Southeast Asia, with an estimated 46,000 personnel, 112 combat-capable aircraft, including 28 F-16s and 11 Swedish Gripen fighter jets, and dozens of helicopters.