Thailand Recasts Cambodia Border Strikes as Anti-Scam Offensive as China Moves to Mediate

Overview

• Cambodia says Thai warplanes dropped bombs on Poipet, a casino hub at the frontier, while Thailand claims it targeted a site used to store rockets.
• Thai military statements this week describe raids on six scam-linked sites, including casinos, portraying the campaign as cutting logistics for transnational crime.
• At least 39 deaths and large-scale displacement running into the hundreds of thousands have been reported since fighting reignited on December 7.
• China dispatched a special envoy and its top diplomat urged a rapid ceasefire, building on calls from ASEAN’s Malaysian chair and the United Nations human rights office.
• Washington’s role remains contested after the president’s claimed truce was denied by Bangkok, and the U.S. secretary of state conveyed concern to Thailand’s foreign minister.