AKP Phnom Penh, December 10, 2025 --

As of Dec. 9, a total of 514 schools in five provinces bordering Thailand have been closed, affecting over 130,000 students and 4,650 teachers, following Thailand's illegal and heinous military invasion of Cambodia.

According to a press release of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, among the closed schools, 260 are in Oddar Meanchey province; 186 in five districts of Banteay Meanchey province; 61 in Choam Ksan district, Preah Vihear province; five in Veal Veng district, Pursat province; and two in Mondul Seima district, Koh Kong province.

Schools in four districts of Battambang province, bordering Thailand—Samlot, Sampov Loun, Kamrieng, and Phnom Prek—are not closed, but many students are absent.

Since Dec. 7, the Thai military has renewed attacks on Cambodian territory and expanded operations across multiple locations in Preah Vihear, Banteay Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey, Battambang, and Pursat provinces, using heavy weapons, F-16 fighter jets, and toxic gas. These attacks have caused civilian casualties, damaged homes, temples, and health centres, forced the closure of hundreds of schools, and displaced thousands of civilians along the border. Cambodia has no choice but to counterattack in self-defence against operations that violate its territorial integrity, after more than 24 hours of utmost restraint. 

By C. Nika