The Laotian Times and AFP – On 23 June, Thailand’s army closed border crossings with Cambodia in six provinces to all vehicles and foot passengers except students and people seeking medical treatment, as a territorial row between the neighbors rages.
A long-running dispute over small stretches of the frontier erupted into military clashes last month in which a Cambodian soldier was killed.
The latest border restrictions apply to foreigners as well as Thais, and mean that tourists cannot enter Cambodia via the popular Aranyaprathet-Poipet crossing point.
The military said that border crossings in the provinces of Surin, Buriram, Sri Sa Ket, Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi and Trat would be closed with immediate effect to all but essential traffic.
“These measures will allow for medical treatment and for students including the purchase of essential products,” Major General Winthai Suvaree said.
On the same day, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra also unveiled additional measures aimed at curbing cybercrime activities linked to Cambodia.
These include barring casino-bound tourists from traveling to Cambodia and cutting internet access to Cambodian military and security agencies.
The Prime Minister said authorities will also increase scrutiny at border points and airports, especially targeting passengers flying to Siem Reap for gambling purposes.
While specifics on how officials will distinguish casino-goers from other tourists remain unclear, Paetongtarn stressed that the government is committed to tightening oversight to address both national security and cross-border criminal activities.
The move comes a day after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet ordered a halt to imports of fuel and gas from Thailand.
Cambodia has also stopped imports of Thai fruit and vegetables, banned Thai dramas from TV and cinemas, and cut internet bandwidth from Thailand.
Thailand was Cambodia’s third-biggest trading partner in 2022, according to the World Bank, with imports reaching USD 3.8 billion, of which fuels accounted for 27 percent.
Hun Manet visited troops on the border on Monday and an evacuation centre housing some 3,850 people moved from their homes near the border as a precaution.
The standoff has triggered a political crisis in Thailand, where a leaked phone call between Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra prompted a major party in the ruling coalition to walk out.
Paetongtarn is facing calls to quit or call an election as she battles to hang on to power. Thailand summoned the Cambodian ambassador on 20 June to complain about the leak, which included Paetongtarn making disparaging remarks about the Thai military commander in the border region.
Cambodia has asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to help resolve the border dispute in four areas: the site of last month’s clash and three ancient temples.
The border row dates back to the drawing of the countries’ 800-kilometre (500-mile) frontier in the early 20th century during the French occupation of Indochina.
Violence sparked by the dispute has led to at least 28 deaths in the region since 2008.
© Agence France-Presse