Cambodia

Thailand Returns 18 Cambodian Soldiers After 155 Days

Is Cambodia committing aggression to distract from regime collapse, or is Thailand invading a peaceful nation?

Published DEC 31 2025

Thailand Returns 18 Cambodian Soldiers After 155 Days

Story

Above: Cambodian Buddhist monks participate in a prayer for peace at Win-Win memorial in Phnom Penh on Dec. 29, 2025. Image credit: Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP/Getty Images

The Facts

Thailand returned 18 Cambodian soldiers to Cambodia on Wednesday, after they had been held in Thai custody for 155 days following their capture on July 29. The handover took place at the checkpoint between Cambodia's Pailin and Thailand's Chanthaburi provinces.
Cambodianess
Khmer Times
People's Daily
The repatriation followed Clause 11 of the Joint Statement signed at the 3rd special session of the General Border Committee on Saturday, which stipulated the soldiers would be returned after a 72-hour ceasefire was maintained.
Independent
Bangkok Post
Thailand's Foreign Affairs Ministry stated the soldiers were treated in accordance with international humanitarian law, including the 1949 Geneva Conventions, and were allowed periodic visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) during their detention.
The Mainichi
The Nation Thailand
The release was delayed by one day beyond Tuesday as scheduled, with Thailand citing alleged airspace violations by Cambodian drones as the reason for the postponement before proceeding with the handover on Wednesday.
Nikkei Asia
The Nation Thailand
The soldiers underwent health examinations before their return and were informed of their rights under the Geneva Conventions to ensure the repatriation was voluntary, safe and dignified, with both the ICRC and ASEAN Observer Team monitoring the process.
Firstpost
Al Jazeera
Bangkok Post
Lieut. Gen. Hun Manith, deputy commander of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, reportedly greeted the soldiers dressed in sweatshirts. Earlier, on Monday, a China-Cambodia-Thailand foreign ministers' meeting was held in Yuxi in China's Yunnan Province.
People's Daily
Nikkei Asia

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Cambodia's deliberate laying of landmines on Thai sovereign territory and indiscriminate attacks on hospitals, schools and civilians represented flagrant violations of international law and basic humanity. These calculated acts of aggression are nothing more than a desperate attempt by the crumbling Hun Sen regime to distract from its exposed criminal empire of casinos, scam operations and money laundering. The manufactured border crisis serves as a cynical survival tactic to deflect attention from the dynasty's collapse and shield illicit family fortunes from international sanctions.

Bangkok Post

MFA of Thailand

Narrative B

Thailand's invasion using F-16 and Gripen fighter jets to drop massive bombs deep into Cambodian territory, attacking pagodas, schools and hospitals, constituted clear aggression against a nation that has enjoyed 26 years of uninterrupted peace. The unified Cambodian response — from grassroots donations to peaceful rallies — reflects genuine patriotism, not government manipulation, while the Thai media's complete absence of peace advocacy reveals a troubling satisfaction with conflict. Gratitude for past refugee assistance doesn't justify the territorial theft of temples already awarded to Cambodia by international courts.

Cambodianess