Armed cops raided a home where they arrested eight Cambodians for selling ice cream in Thailand, as the country targets foreign nationals over the border dispute.

Soldiers and police stalked the property in Udon Thani province for a day with long-lens cameras to collect evidence that the group were selling choc-ices and lollies without the correct paperwork.

Wearing bulletproof vests, they were joined by state officials as they stormed into the building to find a handful of middle-aged men and women preparing their pushcarts and bells on August 1.

Heavy-handed officers shouted 'get down' as they ran inside before herding the suspects onto the ground and interrogating them. They were then loaded into police pickup trucks to be taken to the station and deported.

Officers rummaged through freezers and collected the ice cream as evidence.

The bizarre raid came amid a nationalistic fervour triggered by the country's clashes with neighbouring Cambodia, which erupted on July 24 when rockets hit a fuel station in Surin province.

District council chief Chawit Pongkhan, who joined the raid, said: 'Today was a challenge. We were expecting the suspects to fight back. Soldiers and police were part of the operation.

'The ice cream gang were riding motorcycles and sidecars, and pushing carts to sell ice cream. They would ring bells to attract attention.

'We were tipped off that they did not have the correct work permits and paperwork, so our team mobilised quickly. After conducting a reconnaissance of the suspects, we moved in to make the arrests.

‘They will be handed over to the inquiry officer for legal action and deported to their country of origin. As for the house, it was inspected and found to be used as a storage and distribution point for goods.

‘The police will also investigate to identify the Thai owner and public health officials will check whether the production source is legitimate or counterfeit.'

Police said that five Cambodian men and three women were detained.

Inside the property, they found around 50 freezers containing boxes of various flavoured ice cream.

They also discovered chocolate chips, along with seven Pai Thong ice cream brand sidecar motorcycles and 10 pushcarts.

One of the individuals could not present a passport, while the rest had expired visas.

One Cambodian suspect testified that he had been in Thailand for over 10 years, working as a construction worker in Bangkok and Nonthaburi.

He later travelled to Roi Et but was unable to find employment until a local suggested he sell ice cream in Udon Thani, prompting him to charter a pickup truck to the province.

He was paid a daily wage of 300 Baht (6.94 GBP) for the work.

The suspects said that they were concerned by the clashes along the border but did not want to return to their homeland as 'earning money in Thailand is easier'.

A bloody military confrontation flared in long-disputed border areas as Thailand and Cambodia accused each other of instigating the violence on July 24.

The Thai army claimed the clash began when six armed Cambodian soldiers approached a Thai outpost after a drone was heard near a disputed Khmer temple, which has been occupied by Thailand for decades. Thai troops said they shouted warnings and claimed the Cambodians opened fire first.

However, Cambodia's Defence Ministry accused Thailand of provoking the violence, saying its forces acted in self-defence.

Officials said at least 43 people have been killed and more than 300,000 displaced on both sides of the border.

Both sides have reached a truce at midnight on Monday, following talks facilitated by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

He said: 'This is a vital first step toward de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security.'

US President Donald Trump had earlier threatened to pause trade deals with both countries if clashes continued.

He said after the ceasefire was forged: 'By ending this War, we have saved thousands of lives ... I have now ended many Wars in just six months — I am proud to be the President of PEACE!'

However, Thai authorities accused Cambodia of allegedly violating the armistice, claiming Khmer soldiers were firing into Thai territory until Wednesday morning.

Thai government spokesman Jirayu Huangsab said the Thai army have 'maintained control of the situation' and the general conditions along the border were 'normal'.