Photo of Israeli soldiers during Bangkok quake rescue falsely linked to Thai-Cambodia conflict
- Published on January 7, 2026 at 09:45
- 2 min read
- By Chayanit ITTHIPONGMAETEE, AFP Thailand
Border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia reignited in December 2025, but a picture of Israeli soldiers circulating on social media does not show reinforcements arriving to bolster the Thai military. The photo in fact shows Israeli officers in Bangkok in March 2025, when they were assisting with search and rescue efforts following the collapse of a high-rise building in an earthquake.
"Thousands of Israeli soldiers have arrived to help Thailand in its operations to invade Cambodia," reads Khmer-language text underneath a photo shared on TikTok on December 15, 2025.
The photo, which was reshared more than 2,800 times, surfaced after fresh border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia in December that killed dozens of people (archived link). Around a million on both sides were displaced by the fighting, which stems from a decades-old border dispute.
A fragile truce was agreed on December 27, bringing an end to the latest flare up.
While Bangkok accused Phnom Penh of violating the ceasefire on January 6, 2026, it said Thai forces "did not retaliate", opting instead to contact the Cambodian side to verify what happened, adding that Phnom Penh "claimed it was an accident".
Thailand said cross-border mortar fire wounded a soldier, while Phnom Penh said a "pile of garbage" exploded, injuring two of its own troops.
The same photo was also shared in similar Facebook and Threads posts.
But Colonel Ritcha Suksuwanon, deputy spokesperson of the Royal Thai Army, told AFP on January 6 that there had been "no Israeli reinforcement".
There have also been no official reports of soldiers from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) taking part in the cross-border clashes with Cambodia.
A reverse image search on Google found the photo was previously used in an article about Israel concluding a humanitarian mission in Thailand, published by the Jewish News Syndicate on April 9, 2025 (archived link).
According to the article, an Israeli delegation of experts had been helping Thai authorities to locate people trapped in the aftermath of a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that rocked Myanmar on March 28, 2025.
The tremors were also felt in neighbouring Thailand, bringing down a tower being built to house the State Audit Office in Bangkok (archived link). CNN reported that at least 95 people were killed in the incident (archived link).
The photo in the article is captioned: "IDF soldiers arrive on site at the building collapse on March 31, 2025, in Bangkok, Thailand."
The photo is credited to Lauren DeCicca for Getty Images. She told AFP on January 6, 2026: "The photo was taken during the March 2025 earthquake aftermath in Bangkok."
The same photo can be seen on the Getty Images website, which includes the caption: "BANGKOK, THAILAND - MARCH 31: Soldiers from Israel arrive on site at the building collapse on March 31, 2025, in Bangkok. Rescue efforts are ongoing at the collapsed State Audit Office building in Chatuchak district, following a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake centered in Myanmar" (archived link).
AFP has repeatedly debunked misinformation related to the border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia.
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