BANGKOK — Thailand imposed an overnight Thailand curfew in parts of Trat province near the Cambodian frontier Sunday as border fighting pushed toward coastal districts and officials warned residents to stay indoors. The move follows months of renewed clashes that have displaced hundreds of thousands on both sides, according to a Reuters report, Dec. 14, 2025.
The crackdown comes as President Donald Trump’s ceasefire claim collides with a battlefield that won’t cool. Trump said Friday that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to “cease all shooting,” but neither government has publicly confirmed a deal and fighting has continued, as described by The Associated Press.
Thailand curfew: what residents in Trat need to know
The Thailand curfew covers five districts in Trat that face Cambodia’s Koh Kong province, while excluding the tourist islands of Koh Chang and Koh Kood. Residents are barred from leaving their homes between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m., and the order remains in effect until further notice.
Districts covered: Khlong Yai, Bo Rai, Laem Ngop, Khao Saming and Mueang Trat.
Exceptions: People with urgent necessity may seek permission from military, police or local officials.
Security trigger: The order followed a late-Saturday incident in which three M79 rounds were fired at the Trat Marine Task Force headquarters, with no injuries reported.
Local reporting by The Nation Thailand said the curfew was issued under the Martial Law Act and warned authorities would strictly enforce controls on movement and security checks in affected areas.
Thailand curfew and the border fight that won’t stop
Thailand says it is open to diplomacy — but only after the firing stops. Thai Defence Ministry spokesman Rear Adm. Surasant Kongsiri said clashes have continued, and Thailand has insisted Cambodia must halt hostilities before negotiations can begin. Thailand says it has destroyed a bridge it alleges was used to move heavy weapons and has targeted pre-positioned artillery in Cambodia’s Koh Kong province, while Cambodia has accused Thailand of striking civilian infrastructure.
As the Thailand curfew tightened life in Trat, the human toll climbed. Channel News Asia reported officials said at least 25 people have been killed, including 14 Thai soldiers and 11 Cambodian civilians, and that Cambodia shut border crossings as evacuations expanded and families scrambled to move away from the fighting.
Old scars: why this border keeps snapping back
The latest crisis sits on a deeper fault line that has flared for years. A 2011 clash near the disputed Preah Vihear temple area erupted despite a declared truce, Al Jazeera reported at the time. In 2013, the U.N.’s highest court ruled Cambodia had sovereignty over disputed territory near Preah Vihear and ordered Thai forces to withdraw, The Guardian reported, following coverage of the court decision by Al Jazeera.
For now, officials are urging residents to follow the Thailand curfew, keep travel plans flexible and brace for more overnight restrictions as diplomats push for another halt to the shooting — and border communities wait to see whether any truce actually holds.
