There has been heavy fighting on the border between Thailand and Cambodia for days - now also with the involvement of the navy.

In the wake of the fierce fighting on the border between Thailand and Cambodia, increasing numbers of people are fleeing. According to the government, more than 130,000 residents in Thailand alone have had to seek safety. In Cambodia, the number is reportedly around 35,000.

Thousands of Cambodian migrant workers living in Thailand also want to return home as quickly as possible: They no longer feel safe in the escalating situation. However, many more—possibly tens of thousands of people—have likely applied to cross the border at Ban Laem in Chanthaburi Province, according to Thai PBS, a broadcaster in the border area. Online networks have referred to a "mass exodus."

According to the Cambodian government, more than 1.2 million Cambodians lived and worked in the neighboring country in 2024. Images on social media showed numerous people arriving at the border crossing laden with their belongings. Meanwhile, fighting continued.

Clashes erupted along the 800-kilometer-long border between the two Southeast Asian countries on Thursday. Both sides accuse each other of launching the attacks.

Following a UN Security Council meeting in New York, Cambodia called for "an immediate, unconditional ceasefire and a peaceful resolution to the conflict." Thailand cannot credibly accuse Cambodia of attacking because its army is only one-third the size of Thailand's, said Cambodian UN Ambassador Chhea Keo.

Thailand's military also reportedly carried out several air strikes on military positions. Cambodia fired, among other things, BM-21 missiles into its neighboring country. Thailand's navy is now also involved.

In Cambodia, 13 people have been killed so far, including eight civilians, the Phnom Penh Post reported, citing the Ministry of Defense. More than 70 people were injured, many of them civilians. According to government figures, more than a dozen deaths were also recorded in Thailand – almost all of them civilians. There, too, many citizens were injured.

Human Rights Watch called on both countries to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure at all costs. "In just two days, fighting along the Cambodian-Thai border has killed and injured civilians, including children, and damaged medical facilities and religious and cultural sites," said John Sifton, Asia director of the human rights organization. He called for both sides to strictly uphold international humanitarian law.

Cambodian artillery fire hit, among other things, a hospital and a supermarket in the Thai border region on Thursday. Cambodia, however, accuses Thailand of using cluster munitions in the attacks – an accusation Thailand denies. "Human Rights Watch considers any use of this weapon in populated areas to be unlawful and arbitrary," it said.

Fighting broke out in the border area this morning for the third consecutive day. A new front has now emerged further south, specifically in the Thai province of Trat, the Khaosod newspaper reported, citing the military. According to the Thai army, a disputed mountain—Phu Makkhuea—was also captured by soldiers who raised the Thai flag there.

On Friday evening, Thailand's armed forces declared martial law in eight districts of Trat and Chanthaburi provinces. The decision was justified by the "ongoing threats to national security" posed by the neighboring country. Martial law facilitates the military's ability to conduct all necessary operations to maintain peace and order, the Foreign Ministry said.

Conversely, Thai UN Ambassador Cherdchai Chaivaivid called for an immediate end to hostilities by Cambodia at the UN meeting in order to initiate dialogue. He called it an "unlawful and arbitrary act of aggression." He stated that the two countries are close neighbors, and the violence must end.

The two countries are separated by a border more than 800 kilometers long, the line of which was established during the colonial era. However, the governments in Bangkok and Phnom Penh interpret this border differently. Bloody conflicts have occurred several times in the past, most recently in 2011.

The reasons for the current escalation remain unclear. The dispute over the Prasat Preah Vihear temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008, is repeatedly cited as the reason. The Hindu temple, dating from the 10th to 12th centuries, is claimed by both countries. Observers, however, believe that the violence has far more complex causes.