Cambodia’s defense ministry said Thailand’s military dropped two bombs in the area of Poipet Municipality in Banteay Meanchey Province on Thursday morning, alleging an air strike near Poipet, a major border crossing and casino hub popular with Thai gamblers.
The ministry said the incident occurred at around 11am local time. At the time of reporting, Thailand had not confirmed any strike on Poipet.
Poipet is home to a cluster of casinos that cater largely to cross-border traffic. While Cambodia’s interior ministry said this week that Thai strikes have damaged at least four casinos elsewhere in the country, official statements did not specify that any casino properties in Poipet were directly affected by the reported bombing. No details were provided on damage to gaming facilities in the municipality.
Among the operators with a presence in the Poipet area is DNA Star Vegas Resort, which is associated with Donaco International Limited. The casino is located within the broader Poipet casino zone, according to publicly available company information. Neither Cambodian authorities nor Donaco have indicated that DNA Star Vegas sustained damage in the reported incident.
Cambodian officials said renewed fighting between the two Southeast Asian neighbors this month has resulted in at least 21 deaths in Thailand and 17 in Cambodia, and has displaced around 800,000 people.
Thailand said on Tuesday that between 5,000 and 6,000 Thai nationals remained stranded in Poipet after Cambodia closed its land border crossings as a security measure. Cambodia’s interior ministry described the closures as “necessary” to reduce risks to civilians, adding that air travel remained available for those seeking to leave.
The latest escalation follows a long-running territorial dispute along the countries’ 800-kilometer border. While international mediation efforts have been reported, Bangkok has denied agreeing to any new truce, and clashes have continued.
