泰国军方把与柬埔寨的致命边境冲突重新定义为对抗网路诈骗的战争，称跨境轰炸旨在铲除诈骗集团。这种说法把两个危机连在一起：今年爆发的边境战事已造成「数十人」死亡、约50万人流离失所；同时，区域性的「养猪盘」与呼叫中心诈骗已让受害者损失数十亿美元。
泰国第二军区司令部负责7个边境府中的4个，本周称其在本月于柬埔寨打击的一些目标是被柬军使用的诈骗园区（亦称「赌场」），并表示已「清除」至少6处与诈骗相关设施，其中2处曾遭美国制裁。自12月7日冲突再起后，泰国出动F-16与Gripen轰炸被指用作无人机指挥、武器库或狙击据点的建物与桥梁；柬方称泰国在波贝投下2枚炸弹，泰方则称目标为火箭弹库且均经核验为军事目标。
在外交层面，曼谷似乎试图同时对齐华府与北京，两方都在推动东南亚打击诈骗运营。美国总统唐纳德·特朗普7月以贸易限制施压、10月促成和平协议，并在上周与两国领导人通话后称其承诺停火；同日中国也于12月18日派出特使斡旋。联合国报告称，诈骗网络自2020年起扩张，已从多达56个来源国贩运「数十万」人进入园区；泰国近月亦移交一名被指的赌场主脑，并透过断电、断网、限制燃料与禁止赴波贝工作等措施打击相关经济链。
Thailand’s military is reframing its deadly border clash with Cambodia as a war on cyber scammers, arguing cross-border airstrikes are meant to uproot fraud networks. The narrative links two crises: fighting that has killed dozens and displaced about 500,000 people this year, and a regional “pig-butchering” and call-center scam economy that has swindled billions of dollars.
Thailand’s Second Army Area Command, responsible for four of seven border provinces, said some targets hit in Cambodia this month were scam compounds (also described as casinos) used by Cambodian troops, and claimed at least six scam-related facilities were neutralized, including two previously sanctioned by the US. Since fighting flared again on Dec. 7, Thailand has used F-16 and Gripen jets to bomb sites it says served drone command centers, weapon depots, or sniper positions; Cambodia said two bombs fell on Poipet, while Thailand said it struck rocket depots and verified all targets as military.
Diplomatically, Bangkok appears to align with both Washington and Beijing, which are separately pushing Southeast Asia to crack down on scams. US President Donald Trump threatened trade restrictions in July, oversaw a peace accord in October, and said last week both leaders pledged to stop fighting after his calls; China also sent an envoy on Dec. 18 to mediate. A UN report says scam networks expanded after 2020, trafficking hundreds of thousands of people from up to 56 origin countries; Thailand has also transferred an alleged casino kingpin and tightened pressure by cutting power, internet, and fuel links and restricting travel to Poipet.