Cambodia’s defence ministry has accused Thailand’s military of carrying out an air strike near Poipet, a key border town known for its large casino cluster and heavy cross-border traffic. The incident is the latest flashpoint in a renewed escalation between the two Southeast Asian neighbours, as fighting along their disputed border shows no sign of easing.
Earlier this month, a Thai F-16 struck a casino in Cambodia, which the Royal Thai Army said was being used as a drone-control and rocket-launch base.
According to Cambodia’s defence ministry, Thai forces dropped two bombs in the area of Poipet Municipality in Banteay Meanchey Province at around 11am local time on Thursday. The ministry described the incident as an air strike close to Poipet, which hosts the busiest land crossing between Cambodia and Thailand.
As reported by Asia Gaming Brief, Thailand had not confirmed any strike on Poipet. Thai authorities have not issued a public statement directly addressing the allegation.
Poipet sits on the Cambodian side of the border opposite Thailand’s Sa Kaeo Province. The town is widely known as a casino hub, attracting large numbers of Thai gamblers who cross the border daily when crossings are open.
While Cambodia’s interior ministry said earlier this week that Thai strikes had damaged at least four casinos elsewhere in the country, officials did not state that any casino properties in Poipet were directly affected by Thursday’s reported bombing.
Authorities provided no details on damage to gaming facilities in the municipality, and no images or assessments of structural impact were released. Cambodian officials have so far stopped short of linking the alleged strike to specific casino sites in Poipet.
Among the operators with a presence in the area is DNA Star Vegas Resort, which is associated with Donaco International Limited. Publicly available company information places the casino within the broader Poipet casino zone. Neither Cambodian authorities nor Donaco have indicated that DNA Star Vegas sustained any damage in the reported incident.
The alleged strike comes amid intensified fighting along the Cambodia Thailand border this month. Cambodian officials said the renewed clashes have resulted in at least 21 deaths in Thailand and 17 in Cambodia.
The conflict has also led to significant civilian displacement. According to Cambodian authorities, around 800,000 people have been forced to leave their homes due to ongoing security risks in border areas.
Both sides have blamed each other for escalating hostilities, while maintaining heightened military readiness along contested sections of the frontier.
Thailand said on Tuesday that between 5,000 and 6,000 Thai nationals remained stranded in Poipet after Cambodia closed its land border crossings. Cambodian authorities said the closures were introduced as a security measure to protect civilians amid the fighting.
Cambodia’s interior ministry described the move as “necessary” and said air travel remained available for people seeking to leave the area. However, for many border workers and casino visitors, land crossings remain the primary route of travel.
Poipet’s economy relies heavily on cross-border movement, with casinos, hotels and service businesses dependent on Thai visitors. Prolonged closures are expected to disrupt operations across the local hospitality and gaming sector.
The latest escalation follows a decades-old territorial dispute along the countries’ 800-kilometre shared border. While reports have pointed to international mediation efforts, Bangkok has denied agreeing to any new truce.
Thai officials have said clashes continue in several areas, raising concerns that further incidents could affect civilian centres and commercial zones near the border.
As of Thursday, neither side had signalled a reduction in military activity, and the situation around Poipet remained tense as authorities monitored developments.
#Cambodia #Thailand #BorderConflict #Poipet #CasinoIndustry #RegionalSecurity #SoutheastAsia
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