• Cambodia, Thailand forces accuse each other of fresh attacks
  
  ANKARA

Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn dissolved the parliament on Friday at Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's request as the country moves to hold snap elections.

The king issued a royal decree dissolving the House of Representatives after Anutin formally requested fresh elections within 45 to 60 days.

Thailand's current parliament was formed after the May 2023 general election.

The decree notes that the administration -- formed as a minority coalition in September 2025 -- has struggled to govern amid mounting political, economic and geopolitical challenges, including persistent tensions along the Thai-Cambodian border.

Anutin, of the conservative Bhumjaithai party, was elected as the 32nd prime minister of Thailand with the support of the People’s Party by defeating his rival from the ruling Pheu Thai party, Chaikasem Nitisiri, on Sept. 5.

He formed a minority government, succeeding Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who served only a year in office.

On Thursday, he said he will "return power to the people."

The latest development comes in latest border clashes with Cambodia, which killed at least 22 people this week. Besides injuries, the fighting has displaced hundreds of thousands on both sides.

Cambodian Defense Ministry spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata said Thai forces fired artillery shells and machine guns in various areas near the border, and also accused soldiers of entering Cambodian territory, targeting cultural heritage sites, and endangering civilian populations.

The Royal Thai Army, however, rejected the allegations, insisting that it never targets civilians and described the claims as an attempt to draw international attention through “false” information.

“This is an attempt to shift blame onto Thailand. The use of weapons by the Thai side is strictly limited to military targets. Civilian casualties are impossible unless Cambodia itself deliberately intends such outcomes—by bringing civilians into combat zones or by mixing its own troops and weapons among villagers, hoping to use them as human shields,” said Army spokesperson Maj. Gen. Winthai Suvaree on the US social media platform X.

The two countries signed a peace deal in October in Kuala Lumpur, in the presence of US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

The neighbors have a long-running border dispute that has led to repeated clashes, including in July, when at least 48 people were killed. Around 18 Cambodian soldiers remain in Thai custody from incidents in the past five months.

The land border has been closed since July, limiting cross-border movement and business.