New Images Show Thailand Razed Hundreds of Homes in Villages Along Border
Published on 5 August 2026
High-resolution satellite imagery taken around March 2026 confirms that Thai forces have razed and cleared at least 627 homes and other structures in at least three villages along the Cambodia-Thailand border after the December 2025 ceasefire agreement between the two neighbours.
LICADHO raised concerns about the razing of structures in the villages of Chok Chey, Boeung Trarkuon and Prey Chan in Banteay Meanchey province in January 2026, shortly after Cambodia and Thailand agreed to a ceasefire. These concerns were based on publicly available satellite imagery from the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 satellites.
Newer, higher-resolution images available following an update on Apple Maps that appear to be taken around March 2026 show that hundreds of homes and other structures have been razed in these villages in the months since the ceasefire took effect.
LICADHO is sharing the satellite images of these villages without indicating the border claims of either Cambodia or Thailand.
Chok Chey village - 270 structures razed
Chok Chey village in Banteay Meanchey province has been settled and continuously occupied by Cambodian villagers for decades. Publicly available satellite imagery shows occupation dating to 2006, while villagers have reported living in the village since the 1990s. According to Cambodian government data from 2019, Chok Chey village had 631 families and 2,586 residents.
Boeung Trarkuon - 299 structures razed
Boeung Trarkuon is a large settlement in Banteay Meanchey province. Hundreds of homes, as well as public infrastructure including a health centre, have been under Thai control since the ceasefire ended in December 2025.
Prey Chan village - 58 structures razed
Prey Chan is a village in Banteay Meanchey province where dozens of homes previously occupied by Cambodians are now either razed or under Thai control.
The destruction of civilian property by occupying powers unless absolutely necessary for military operations is prohibited by Article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. International human rights law also protects the right to adequate housing, and prohibits the arbitrary destruction of civilian houses and forced evictions regardless of land tenure or ownership status.
The UN Special Rapportuer on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Tom Andrews, said in a statement on 31 July, "It is a matter of international law that those displaced by armed conflict have the right to return to their homes."
LICADHO is renewing the call made in January. We call on Thai authorities to immediately cease the clearance and razing of civilian homes and infrastructure in all villages along the border, regardless of which side of the contested border these homes fall. Civilian homes must not become targets or collateral damage in a border dispute, and remedy for the destruction of property must be considered.
We also continue to call on Cambodian authorities to ensure that villagers from these areas have adequate access to decent housing while they are displaced from their homes, in line with international human rights law.
