Thai Attacks Shut Down More Than 900 Cambodian Schools

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Dec. 11, 2025) — More than 900 schools across six Cambodian provinces have been forced to close as Thai military attacks intensify along the border, disrupting education for over 216,000 students and displacing thousands of teachers.

The Ministry of Education said 909 schools in Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey, Preah Vihear, Pursat, Koh Kong and Battambang have suspended operations, affecting 7,601 teachers and 216,107 students. Officials described the closures as necessary to protect staff and children from ongoing shelling.

The shutdowns highlight the widening humanitarian toll of the conflict, now in its fifth day since Thailand renewed military assaults on Dec. 7. Cambodian authorities say Thai forces have expanded operations across multiple locations, using heavy artillery, F 16 fighter jets and toxic gas to strike civilian areas, temples, health centers and homes.

Hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled to designated safe zones, with schools among the most affected institutions as frontline districts come under repeated attack.

The Ministry of National Defence said Cambodia exercised more than 24 hours of restraint before responding, stressing that counterattacks were carried out solely in self defense against repeated violations of territorial integrity.