Thai PBS Verify, which reviews and screens news for veracity to reduce the spread of fake news, has found that the article in question, with a headline which reads “CMAC shows 1 tonne bomb, dropped by Thailand on Cambodia”, published on July 31st, is fake news.
Using of Google Lens, it was found that the photo used in the article in question matches a Facebook post by a user named ‘HENG Ratana’, with accompanying text in Khmer and English. The English version reads:
“Today, 30th July 2025, CMAC (Cambodian Mine Action Centre) experts have responded to an emergency call from affected local community to clear a bomb. This bomb as the remnants of war identified as an aerial bomb MK-84 dropped by the Thai Air Forces, MK-84 with total weights around 1.000kg and 3.5 meters long and this bomb is one of biggest in MK family bombs. It’s vital to note that MK-84 had not used much in the past war in this region.” [sic]
Response to false accusation
Following the spread of the article in question, Thai PBS published an article on July 31st, reporting that The Centre had addressed the news article, published by Cambodian media, claiming that an MK-84 bomb was dropped on a village in Cambodia came from Thai F-16 aircraft.
The Center has confirmed that Thailand’s air operations were directed solely at military targets and were conducted in accordance with the principles of self-defense and the protection of national sovereignty.
As for the MK-84 bomb mentioned in recent claims, it was found in a deteriorated condition and appeared to have been unearthed from beneath a civilian residence. Based on its circumference and length, it resembles a standard 2,000-pound Western-style aerial bomb, commonly used in various contexts. The bomb was also found lying parallel to the ground, an unusual orientation for one dropped from an aircraft.
All available evidence suggests that it is impossible that the bomb originated from a recent Thai Air Force operation.
