The Cambodian first lady, Pich Chanmony, attended funeral services for soldiers reportedly killed in clashes along the Cambodia–Thailand border, according to a post on Prime Minister Hun Manet's Facebook page, although Cambodia has not formally confirmed troop deaths. Official counts list 23 deaths in Thailand (mostly soldiers) and 21 civilian deaths in Cambodia. Fighting and reported shelling continued in border provinces while four days of talks began at a checkpoint to seek an end to the violence.
Cambodian First Lady Attends Funerals as Border Clashes With Thailand Continue
This handout from the official Facebook page of Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet taken and released on December 24, 2025 shows the prime minister's wife Pich Chanmony attending a funeral in Takeo province of a soldier who died in recent clashes with Thailand (Handout)(Handout/OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE OF CAMBODIA'S PRIME MINISTER HUN MANET/AFP)
The wife of Cambodia's prime minister, First Lady Pich Chanmony, attended funeral ceremonies for soldiers reportedly killed in recent border clashes with Thailand, according to a post on Prime Minister Hun Manet's official Facebook page. Phnom Penh has not publicly confirmed any Cambodian military fatalities since the fighting began on December 7.
The renewed confrontation between the two Southeast Asian neighbours has so far been deadly: official tallies record 23 deaths in Thailand — almost all of them soldiers — and 21 civilian fatalities in Cambodia. Both governments have blamed the other for provoking the violence and each says it acted in self-defence.
Photographs published on the prime minister's Facebook page show Pich Chanmony praying with incense and consoling grieving relatives beside displayed names and portraits of at least two soldiers. The post described the events as a tribute to "the soldiers who died in the battle to defend the territory from the invading Thai enemy" and called the loss "a great sorrow for the nation and the families."
Official Responses and Ongoing Fighting
Cambodia's defence ministry spokeswoman, Maly Socheata, declined to comment on the Facebook post when contacted and referred journalists to the ministry's official channels. The ministry also reported continued fighting on Thursday morning, saying Thai forces had shelled parts of the border province of Banteay Meanchey.
"This is a great sorrow for the nation and the families," the Facebook post said.
Both sides report attacks on civilians and have accused the other of instigating the latest clashes, which have spread across much of the roughly 800-kilometre (500-mile) frontier. Cambodian and Thai officials began four days of talks at a border checkpoint aimed at negotiating an end to the violence.
Why It Matters
The confrontation stems from longstanding disputes over colonial-era border demarcation and contested areas that include scattered ancient temple ruins along the frontier. The clashes have raised regional concern because they involve sustained artillery and ground skirmishes and have displaced civilians in border provinces on both sides.
As the situation develops, independent verification of military casualties remains limited. International observers and media continue to monitor official statements, social media posts and reports from the border regions for further confirmation of losses and any breakthrough from the ongoing talks.
