Video shows jets in northern Malaysia, not Thai patrol on Cambodian frontier

Published on July 15, 2025 at 10:43
3 min read
By Pasika KHERNAMNUOY, Raevathi SUPRAMANIAM, AFP Thailand, AFP Malaysia

Relations between Bangkok and Phnom Penh have remained tense since a long-standing territorial dispute boiled over into cross-border clashes in May, but a video purporting to show Thai fighter jets breaching Cambodian airspace was in fact filmed in Malaysia two weeks before the spat.

"Cambodia in shock as Thai army showcases its jets along the border," reads Thai-language text superimposed on a video shared on YouTube on June 26, 2025.

A Khmer-language voiceover says: "Hi all, please watch these Thai army jets that are flying along the border back and forth. I don't know about their intentions towards Cambodia. Please be careful -- our people, our troops."

Screenshot of the false YouTube post captured on July 9, 2025, with a red X added by AFP

The clip also circulated with a similar Khmer-language caption as a diplomatic feud between Bangkok and Phnom Penh continued to fester.

The Southeast Asian neighbours have been at loggerheads since a Cambodian soldier was killed in late May as troops exchanged fire in a disputed border region (archived link).

Numerous border crossings have been closed as Cambodia banned some Thai products, and Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended last week pending an ethics probe into her conduct during the spat.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet announced on July 14 that the military will begin conscripting civilians from 2026, citing the rising tensions with Thailand as the reason for activating a long-dormant mandatory enlistment law (archived link).

Thailand already has military conscription for young and able-bodied men, who enter a lottery to determine whether they have to serve.

The circulating clip, however, was filmed in Malaysia.

A combination of keyword and reverse image searches on Google using keyframes from the falsely shared video led to a horizontally flipped version of the clip in a Facebook post on May 13 (archived link).

Its Malay-language caption reads: "The last running in...for me. Three pairs of Sukhoi & Hornet fighter jets flying over Sultan Abdul Halim Airport, Alor Setar" (archived link). The airport is in northern Malaysia's Kedah state.

Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared clip (left) and the video posted on May 13 (right)

Camera shutters can also be heard in this higher quality version.

The clip was posted by Safuan Salahudin, a Malaysia-based photographer, who often shares his work on his social media accounts.

Metadata from Salahudin's original video file confirmed it was recorded on the same date it was posted on Facebook.

"I didn't expect social media users in other countries to manipulate my video like that," he said.

He also pointed out that the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF)'s F/A-18D Hornet seen in the video was decorated in Pikachu-themed livery, which is used on special occasions such as the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2025 (LIMA 25) (archived link).

Screenshot comparison of the May 13 video, magnified by AFP (left), and a clip posted by the Royal Malaysian Air Force (right)

Malaysian media reported the air force jets were training in Kedah ahead of LIMA 25, which was held between May 20 and 24 (archived here and here).

The air force also reassured local residents there was no need to be anxious or worried by low-flying aircraft or the sound of explosions during the training period.

AFP has debunked other misinformation related to the Cambodia-Thailand border dispute.

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