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Thailand’s military has closed border crossings into Cambodia to almost all travellers, including tourists and traders, as tensions escalate over a longstanding territorial dispute between the two neighbours.
All vehicles and travellers, both Thai and foreigners, will be prohibited from crossing borders into Cambodia across seven provinces, according to statements by Thailand’s army and navy.
Tensions between Cambodia and Thailand have soared since May when troops briefly exchanged fire at a contested area of the border, killing a Cambodian soldier. The incident has led to tit-for-tat actions by both governments, and rising nationalism either side of the border.
Thailand’s prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who is facing a political crisis over the handling of the dispute, said on Monday that screening at land borders would be increased, and exemptions would be made only in some cases such as patients requiring medical treatment, or students travelling for education.
The latest border closures follow a series of retaliatory measures imposed by both governments. Over recent weeks, Cambodia has banned Thai films from TV and cinemas, cut internet bandwidth from Thailand, and suspended fruit, vegetables imports from Thailand, as well as gas and fuel imports. Thailand also increased its border restrictions, while both sides shortened visa status for visitors from either country.
Paetongtarn is facing calls to resign over her handling of the dispute, and has been accused of failing to take a tough stance against the former Cambodian leader Hun Sen – who is known to be an old friend of her father, the populist former leader Thaksin Shinawatra.
Last week, a phone call between her and Hun Sen, who remains powerful in Cambodia, was leaked, prompting public outrage. In the recording, she could be heard criticising a senior Thai military commander who she said “just wanted to look tough”, and telling Hun Sen, who she addresses as “uncle”, that if there were anything he wanted, she would “take care of it”.
The call infuriated her family’s longstanding enemies in the military, and was cited by one of her government’s coalition partners as a reason for its departure from government. Paetongtarn later apologised for her comments, saying they were a negotiating tactic and calling for unity within Thailand.
On Monday, Paetongtarn said that Thailand would consider blocking exports to Cambodia that could be used by criminal gangs running scam operations in the country, and that Thailand would work with others in the region and international agencies to crack down on such cybercrime.
Cambodia has been pointed to by both UN experts and human rights groups as a global hotspot for illegal scam activities, where victims of human trafficking are held against their will and forced into criminality.
The latest border crossings closures cover the provinces of Ubon Ratchathani, Surin, Buriram, Sri Sa Ket, Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi and Trat, according to statements by the Thai military and navy.
