Thai media claims 'Hello Hun Sen' message inscribed on bombs targeting Cambodia by Thai soldiers

Thai and Cambodian troops clashed at a disputed area along the border in the early morning of Jul. 24, 2025.

In a statement posted on social media, the Royal Thai Army (RTA) claimed that Cambodian soldiers opened fire around 8:20am in an area about 200 metres away from disputed Ta Muen Thom temple, which is located on the Thai–Cambodian border.

This has led to a barrage of media reports on purported military actions on both sides.

Thai media Khaosod reported that following the clash between Thai and Cambodian troops, six F-16 fighter jets from Thailand were deployed.

An official Thai military page later reported that the F-16s had supposedly "destroyed" the headquarters of Cambodia’s 8th and 9th Infantry Divisions.

There have been social media posts floating online of Thai soldiers purportedly inscribing various slogans on the missiles, including "Hello Hunsen".

One such post can be seen below:

This is presumably a reference to the former leader of Cambodia, Hun Sen, who has recently been vocal about Thailand-Cambodia affairs.

Most notably, the leaking of the conversation with Paetongtarn.

How the war started

The Thai newspaper Khaosod claimed that Thai soldiers retaliated in self-defence, and clashing ensued.

A Thai army spokesperson said that two Thai soldiers were wounded, Reuters reported.

According to the spokesperson, Cambodia had used multiple weapons, including rocket launchers.

However, a spokesperson for Cambodia's defence ministry said Cambodian forces responded in self-defence due to an "unprovoked incursion" by Thai troops.

The Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the situation was delicate.

"We have to be careful. We will follow international law," he told the media, as quoted by Reuters.

A day before, on Jul. 23, the Thailand degraded diplomatic relations with Cambodia following a landmine incident that injured a Thai soldier along the border, Al Jazeera reported.

The Thai government recalled the country's ambassador to Cambodia, and said it will expel Cambodia's ambassador.

According to Khaosod, earlier at 7:35am that day, the Thai military had sent a team to inform Cambodia that Thailand was closing the Ta Muen Thom temple to tourism, but the discussion failed as Cambodia did not agree.

Thai officials then installed a barbed wire fence around the path up to and surrounding the temple.

The RTA said that at around 7:35am, Thai troops reported hearing the sound of a Cambodian surveillance drone flying around the temple, though they could not see it.

The RTA added that six "fully-armed Cambodian soldiers" allegedly approached the barbed wire fence around the Thai base, while the Thai military tried to negotiate to avoid conflict.

Cambodian prime minister Hun Manet, son of Hun Sen, wrote in a Facebook post that the Thai military "launched an attack" on Jul. 24 and gave the Cambodian side "no choice" but to respond with armed forces against "armed aggression".

Hun Sen also claimed in a Facebook post that two Cambodian provinces had come under shelling from the Thai military.

Top image via X.