Cambodia says Thailand raising tensions with new border crossing rules
Cambodia's government accused Thailand of escalating border tensions on Tuesday by imposing new restrictions that have blocked almost all land crossings, especially for tourists heading into Cambodia.
Relations between the two neighbours have deteriorated following an armed confrontation on 28 May in which one Cambodian soldier was killed in a small, contested territory along their border.
While the two sides have agreed to de-escalate, they have continued to implement or threaten measures that have kept tensions high.
The Thai army on Monday imposed heightened restrictions at border checkpoints with Cambodia following an order from Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to allow only students, medical patients and others with essential needs to enter or leave Thailand.
That also makes it impossible for thousands of tourists to cross between the two countries.
Pen Bona, a spokesperson of the Cambodian government, said on Tuesday that Cambodia has committed to resolve the conflict through diplomatic channels, but tensions have soared because of Thailand's actions.
"The Cambodian government has already stated that we will not initiate any border closure," and that it will also lift restrictions if Thailand does so first, he said.
Cambodia has boycotted some Thai internet services, banned Thai fruits and vegetables and blocked electricity and fuel supplies from Thailand in response to the border dispute.
Prior to the boycott, Cambodia imported 30% of its gasoline and other fuel from Thailand.
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet on Monday visited troops at the border and a temporary shelter for thousands of civilians who were evacuated from the area.
He said that while Cambodia doesn't want war, "we cannot stand by and let us be abused."
In addition to border restrictions, Paetongtarn also announced measures targeting online scam operations in Cambodia.
They include blocking exports that could facilitate such activities in Cambodia and coordination with other countries and international agencies to crack down on cybercrime based in Southeast Asia.
Pen Bona said that while he recognised that Cambodia "is being exploited by online scammers," many such operations are also based in Thailand.
"This is a very shameful thing that is happening in Thailand, but they are trying to divert the story from Thailand to Cambodia," he said.
Earlier this year, Thailand implemented measures to crack down on online scam operations in neighbouring Myanmar, severing electricity, internet and gas supplies to border towns where the syndicates were based.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
10 hours ago
- Euronews
Cambodia says Thailand raising tensions with new border crossing rules
Cambodia's government accused Thailand of escalating border tensions on Tuesday by imposing new restrictions that have blocked almost all land crossings, especially for tourists heading into Cambodia. Relations between the two neighbours have deteriorated following an armed confrontation on 28 May in which one Cambodian soldier was killed in a small, contested territory along their border. While the two sides have agreed to de-escalate, they have continued to implement or threaten measures that have kept tensions high. The Thai army on Monday imposed heightened restrictions at border checkpoints with Cambodia following an order from Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to allow only students, medical patients and others with essential needs to enter or leave Thailand. That also makes it impossible for thousands of tourists to cross between the two countries. Pen Bona, a spokesperson of the Cambodian government, said on Tuesday that Cambodia has committed to resolve the conflict through diplomatic channels, but tensions have soared because of Thailand's actions. "The Cambodian government has already stated that we will not initiate any border closure," and that it will also lift restrictions if Thailand does so first, he said. Cambodia has boycotted some Thai internet services, banned Thai fruits and vegetables and blocked electricity and fuel supplies from Thailand in response to the border dispute. Prior to the boycott, Cambodia imported 30% of its gasoline and other fuel from Thailand. Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet on Monday visited troops at the border and a temporary shelter for thousands of civilians who were evacuated from the area. He said that while Cambodia doesn't want war, "we cannot stand by and let us be abused." In addition to border restrictions, Paetongtarn also announced measures targeting online scam operations in Cambodia. They include blocking exports that could facilitate such activities in Cambodia and coordination with other countries and international agencies to crack down on cybercrime based in Southeast Asia. Pen Bona said that while he recognised that Cambodia "is being exploited by online scammers," many such operations are also based in Thailand. "This is a very shameful thing that is happening in Thailand, but they are trying to divert the story from Thailand to Cambodia," he said. Earlier this year, Thailand implemented measures to crack down on online scam operations in neighbouring Myanmar, severing electricity, internet and gas supplies to border towns where the syndicates were based.
France 24
2 days ago
- France 24
Embattled Thai PM reshuffles cabinet as crisis rages
The 38-year-old daughter of controversial former premier Thaksin Shinawatra began handing out ministerial posts vacated when her main coalition partner quit last week -- a move that nearly took her government down. Paetongtarn, in office for less than a year, is hanging on by a thread, and on top of the party horse-trading she now faces a Constitutional Court case that could see her barred from office. She faced calls to quit or call an election last week as critics accused her of undermining the country and insulting the army during the leaked call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen, which focused on a festering border dispute. The conservative Bhumjaithai party quit the governing coalition led by Paetongtarn's Pheu Thai party over the call, leaving it with a wafer-thin majority. But the crisis stabilised as other coalition partners said they would stay, and Pheu Thai secretary general Sorawong Thienthong told AFP on Monday that all 10 remaining parties were sticking with the government. "None of the other parties are pulling out -- the remaining parties are staying united with the government," Sorawong said. "The prime minister has discussed the reshuffle with other political leaders." The new cabinet line-up will be finalised by Friday but sources said changes are expected in key positions including the defence ministry as the border row with Cambodia rumbles on. The long-running dispute over several small stretches of the frontier in northeast Thailand flared into military clashes last month that left one Cambodian soldier dead. The standoff has shown little sign of going away and on Monday the Thai army closed border crossings in six provinces to all vehicles and foot passengers except students and people seeking medical treatment. 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 move came a day after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet ordered a halt to fuel and gas imports from Thailand. He 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. Hun Manet said Monday that the "key" to normalising relations again lay with Thailand, blaming "Thai nationalism and internal politics" for the dispute. Court case looms With the loss of Bhumjaithai, the government can command only a handful more than the 248 votes needed for a majority in parliament, making it deeply vulnerable. A group of political activists involved in huge demonstrations that helped sink previous leaders linked to the Shinawatras has pledged to hold a major rally on Saturday calling for Paetongtarn to quit. Even if Paetongtarn rides out the parliamentary crisis, a potentially bigger threat is looming in the Constitutional Court. A group of conservative senators has submitted a petition asking the court to throw Paetongtarn out of office over her conduct in the call with Hun Sen. The same court sacked Paetongtarn's predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, in an ethics case in August last year. Srettha was the latest in a long line of Thai prime ministers from parties linked to Thaksin to be kicked out of office by court orders or military coups -- including Thaksin himself and his sister Yingluck Shinawatra. Thai politics has endured two decades of chronic instability fuelled by a long-running battle between the military, pro-royalist establishment and parties linked to Thaksin. While Thaksin, 75, remains popular with his rural base, he is deeply disliked and distrusted by Thailand's powerful elite. In another headache for the Shinawatras, Thaksin faces a criminal trial next week for insulting the monarchy in an interview with South Korean media a decade ago. Under Thailand's strict lese-majeste laws, insulting King Maha Vajiralongkorn or his close family is punishable by up to 15 years in jail for each offence. burs-pdw/dhw © 2025 AFP
AFP
2 days ago
- AFP
Video shows fire at power plant in Yemen, not Israel refinery hit by Iran
on a Yemeni power plant has resurfaced in posts falsely linking it to the Iran-Israel war. The posts circulated after Israel confirmed an oil refinery in Haifa was struck by an Iranian missile, but the clip was geolocated to a power plant south of Yemen's capital Sanaa and was shared weeks before arch foes Iran and Israel traded waves of devastating strikes. "Bazan's power plant in Haifa was completely destroyed by an Iranian missile attack on June 16," reads a Thai-language X post shared on June 18, 2025. An attached clip shows an industrial facility engulfed in flames and blanketed by thick black smoke. It circulated after Israeli officials confirmed an oil refinery in the coastal city of Haifa was struck by an Iranian missile on June 15 (archived here and here). The arch foes have traded wave after wave of devastating strikes since Israel struck Iranian nuclear and military facilities with a barrage of missiles on June 13, killing several top officials and prompting a counter-attack by Tehran (archived here and here). In a flashpoint moment for the Middle EastPresident Donald Trump said US air strikes on June 22 had "totally obliterated" Iran's main nuclear sites and warned more targets would be hit if Iran did not make peace quickly (archived link). Hours later, Iran launched two waves of attacks against long-time foe Israel. Image Screenshot of the false X post captured on June 19, 2025, with a red X added by AFP The same footage also circulated in other Thai-language posts as well as English, Burmese, Japanese, Hindi and Bengali posts. But the video does not show an Iranian strike on Israel. Sanaa power plant A reverse image search using keyframes from the falsely shared video led to the same clip posted on Instagram on May 7 (archived link). According to an archive captured on June 19, its Arabic-language caption said it showed a power plant in Sanaa. The caption was later changed to say Tel Aviv. The Instagram user did not respond to an AFP request for comment. Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared clip (left) and the May 7 Instagram video (right) Elements in the video also correspond to south of Sanaa (archived link). Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared clip (left) and Google Maps imagery of the Haziz power plant (right), with similar elements highlighted by AFP Media reports from May 6 and a post on the Israel Defense Forces' official X account say Yemen's capital Sanaa was hit by a series of airstrikes that targeted infrastructure including power stations (archived here, here and here). Among the sites struck was the . AFP has previously debunked other misinformation related to the Iran-Israel conflict.
