A long-standing territorial dispute between Southeast Asian neighbours Thailand and Cambodia erupted into conflict with jets, tanks, and ground troops battling in a rural border region in July 2025. But an image of aircraft supposedly from the fighting was in fact shared by the Thai Royal Air Force weeks earlier in a post about a joint air drill with Indonesia.

Long-festering tensions over border territory have escalated into armed conflict between Cambodia and Thailand, leading to dozens of deaths on both sides and displacing tens of thousands of people

While long-standing border disputes explain some of the current violence between Thailand and Cambodia, the conflict’s escalation is primarily driven by Thai elites’ drive to consolidate military

The tank screeches as it rolls into the ad-hoc military base before four battle-weary soldiers jump out to re-inspect the hefty vehicle.