BANGKOK / PHNOM PENH / KUALA LUMPUR - Thai acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has ordered relevant departments to draft legal documents to initiate criminal and civil lawsuits domestically and internationally against Cambodia, Thai government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub said on Tuesday.

The order was issued during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, aiming to take legal action against Cambodia for using military force and weapons to violate Thailand's sovereignty, resulting in significant loss of life and property among Thai civilians and military personnel.

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According to the government spokesman, the Office of the National Security Council of Thailand will lead the legal action, while coordinating with other related departments, including the Thai army, the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Public Health.

The secretary-general of the Office of the Council of State will provide legal advice for prosecuting the involved commanders and responsible persons to file the lawsuits and claim compensation as soon as possible.

Jirayu noted that several tasks remain for Thai agencies to address domestically, including clearing unexploded ordnance fired by Cambodian forces, investigating and handling unauthorized drone incursions, and assisting civilians in safely returning home.

Barbed wire removed

A Cambodian defense spokesperson said on Tuesday evening that barbed wire deployed by Thai soldiers in Cambodian territory has been removed.

"The illegal installation of barbed wire by the Thai side in An Ses area (in Preah Vihear province) on August 4, 2025, has been removed, and the machinery has ceased its operations as of the afternoon of August 5, 2025," Defense Ministry's Undersecretary of State and spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata said in a press release.

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"The removal followed discussions and negotiations between the Cambodian and Thai forces positioned in An Ses area," she said.

Socheata said the An Ses area is within Cambodian territory and is fully controlled by the Cambodian armed forces after a ceasefire agreement between Cambodia and Thailand came into force at midnight on July 28. Armed clashes broke out on July 24 between soldiers of Cambodia and Thailand along their disputed border, and the fighting stopped after the ceasefire took effect.

Ceasefire terms in focus

Thai and Cambodian officials discussed the ceasefire agreement and terms of reference (TOR) during the talks, a Malaysian official said here on Tuesday.

Both matters needed to be finalized first to ensure that both parties understand and abide by them, including in terms of monitoring implementation by the ASEAN Defence Attaché Monitoring Team (AMT), Chief of Defence Forces General Mohd Nizam Jaffar told local media at a press briefing.

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The AMT would play a role in ensuring that Thailand and Cambodia comply with the ceasefire agreement reached by both nations' leaders on July 28, he said.

The secretariat-level meeting of the Thailand-Cambodia General Border Committee (GBC) began on Aug 4 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and is scheduled to run until Aug 6.

The meeting serves as a preparatory session for the upcoming Extraordinary GBC meeting set for Aug 7.

'Politically motivated action' 

Thailand's legal action against Cambodia for using military forces and weapons to violate its sovereignty is baseless and politically motivated and lacks an incredible basis, a Cambodian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Cambodian Foreign Ministry's Secretary of State and Spokesperson Chum Sounry said this legal measure is entirely baseless and represents a deliberate attempt to divert both domestic and international public attention from Thailand's hostile policy against Cambodia.

"The accusations forming the basis of legal action are unfounded, politically motivated, and lack incredible basis," he in a press briefing.

Sounry said Cambodia strongly rejects these claims and reaffirms that the country did not start hostilities.

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Cambodia remains committed to peace, the spokesperson said, adding that despite continued provocation, Cambodia remains fully committed to the ceasefire agreement.

"Cambodia urges Thailand to halt its disinformation campaign and/or hostile actions and return to constructive dialogue in the spirit of peaceful co-existence and ASEAN solidarity," he said.

The reaction came after Thai acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai on Tuesday ordered relevant departments to draft legal documents to initiate criminal and civil lawsuits domestically and internationally against Cambodia.

He accused Cambodia of using military forces and weapons to violate Thailand's sovereignty, resulting in significant loss of life and property among Thai civilians and military personnel.

Armed clashes broke out between soldiers of Cambodia and Thailand along their disputed border on July 24. The two ASEAN member states agreed to a ceasefire in the afternoon of July 28, taking effect at the midnight on the same day.