Thailand has rejected Cambodian claims that its military left nearly 3,900 square kilometres of border areas contaminated with unexploded cluster munitions, saying the figures were unverified and lacked independent forensic evidence.
ACM Prapas Sonjaidee, assistant commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Air Force and director of the Thailand-Cambodia Joint Information Center (JIC), said the government had taken note of data released by the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC).
However, he said the figures were based solely on Cambodia's own assessment and had not undergone joint verification or independent international certification.
"The dissemination of information portraying Thailand as the aggressor will not change the facts," ACM Prapas said.
His remarks came after the Phnom Penh Post reported that CMAC had identified 3,872 square kilometres of land contaminated by unexploded ordnance (UXO) across seven Cambodian provinces bordering Thailand, one year after the 2025 border conflict.
CMAC said its surveys found 5,348 hazardous locations, including 3,858 sites contaminated by cluster munitions, posing a major obstacle to reconstruction and the return of displaced residents.
CMAC director-general Heng Ratana said Thai forces fired an estimated 120,000 to 130,000 155mm cluster munition shells during the conflict, dispersing an estimated six to seven million submunitions.
Based on an estimated failure rate of 25-30%, the agency said millions of unexploded bomblets may remain scattered across affected communities.
The agency also reported destroying more than 8,400 pieces of unexploded ordnance, including 4,436 cluster munitions, during clearance operations between January and June.
ACM Prapas, however, said Thailand could not verify claims because no forensic evidence, technical analysis or findings from independent experts had been presented to support the allegations.
He said Thailand places high priority on protecting civilians and minimising the humanitarian impact of border conflicts, while supporting the clearance of landmines and explosive remnants of war in accordance with international humanitarian principles.
Thailand is prepared to support a transparent, impartial and evidence-based fact-finding process if necessary, ACM Prapas said, provided it is conducted through mechanisms accepted by both countries or relevant international organisations.
He also warned that releasing accusations without joint verification could undermine trust between the two neighbours and hamper efforts to normalise relations following the ceasefire that took effect on Dec 27, 2025.
Under the ceasefire agreement, both sides committed to avoiding provocations and promoting constructive communication.
