Thailand weighs fuel export block as ceasefire claim collapses and fighting spreads to coast

Thailand's military said it is considering blocking fuel exports to Cambodia and has ordered naval forces to watch for ships carrying strategic supplies, even as the country's Energy Ministry stated that oil exports to Cambodia were already halted in June 2025—eight days after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed both sides had agreed to a renewed ceasefire. Fighting that erupted December 7 along the 817-kilometre disputed border has now spread to coastal areas facing Koh Kong and Trat provinces, prompting Thailand to impose a curfew across five Trat districts and Cambodia to suspend all border crossings with its neighbour.

The disconnect between Trump's December 13 announcement—following calls with Thai caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet—and the escalating military operations underscores the gap between diplomatic messaging and ground realities. Thai officials flatly denied agreeing to halt operations, with Anutin vowing to continue fighting "until we feel no more harm and threats to our land and people." Cambodia has not directly confirmed Trump's ceasefire claim, while a White House spokesperson said the president expects parties to honour commitments and will "hold anyone accountable… to ensure durable peace."

Military logistics and coastal expansion

Captain Nara Khunkothom told Reuters on December 14 that military commanders have been discussing blocking fuel exports to Cambodia and designating maritime zones near Cambodian ports as "high-risk," though he clarified that no orders had yet been issued on these measures and that the matter would be discussed at a security meeting on Monday. Thailand's Energy Ministry, however, stated that the kingdom stopped exporting oil to Cambodia in June 2025; in the preceding twelve months, Thailand had exported 2.2 billion litres of fuel to Cambodia, making the potential resumption—or formal interdiction—of such flows a significant economic lever.

Thai military operations have intensified across multiple fronts since December 7. The Royal Thai Army launched Operation Sattawat on December 10, seizing localities in northern Cambodia and conducting F-16 airstrikes at multiple border locations. Thai forces reported destroying a logistics bridge used by Cambodia for heavy-weapons resupply and targeting pre-positioned artillery in Cambodia's coastal Koh Kong province. The Defence Ministry stated that "overall, there have been clashes continuously" since Cambodia reiterated openness to a ceasefire—a direct contradiction of the narrative that shooting had stopped.

The extension of fighting to coastal sectors marks a tactical shift. Thailand's imposition of a curfew in five Trat districts—excluding the tourist islands of Koh Chang and Koh Kood—and the Navy's maritime vigilance suggest both sides are now contesting supply lines and depth-of-strike options beyond the land border. Earlier curfews remain in force in Sa Kaeo province, where some of the most intense exchanges have occurred since a five-day clash in July that ended with Malaysian mediation and Trump's involvement.

Displacement, civilian harm, and border closure

Aggregate reporting indicates that hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced across Cambodia's Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey provinces, with school and hospital disruptions reported in multiple areas on both sides. More than two dozen soldiers and civilians have been killed and hundreds injured since December 7, according to casualty tallies compiled from wire services and local reports; these figures remain provisional and difficult to verify independently.

Cambodia has accused Thailand of striking civilian infrastructure, while Thailand insists it is targeting only military sites. Both governments deny intentionally harming civilians, and the claims remain contested. Cambodia's decision to suspend all border crossings with Thailand heightens economic and humanitarian costs, cutting off trade routes and stranding communities dependent on cross-border commerce and kinship ties.

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What comes next

Thailand's security meeting on Monday will clarify whether the fuel export discussion translates into active maritime interdiction or remains a signalling tool. Either path carries risks: a formal blockade could provoke Cambodian countermeasures or draw regional criticism, while continued ambiguity leaves both populations vulnerable to escalation. Credible de-escalation would require synchronized ceasefire declarations with public timelines, third-party monitors acceptable to both governments, and a process to adjudicate disputed border segments—none of which currently exists. Until external mediators and the parties themselves invest in verification architecture rather than headline announcements, the pattern of claim, denial, and resumed fighting is likely to persist, with fuel, logistics, and civilian access serving as pressure points in a contest neither side appears ready to resolve.