New breach sparks protest
The army described the incident as a serious breach that undermines peaceful efforts to de-escalate tensions along the Thai-Cambodian border. The ceasefire agreement, jointly declared by Thailand and Cambodia, was reached on July 28 and took effect at midnight that night. The agreement was intended to halt all hostilities without condition.
The army says Thailand has strictly adhered to the terms by refraining from all use of force and scaling down military activities in the area to foster peace, mutual trust, and cooperation between both nations. Despite Thailand's compliance, the army has received reports from field military units that on July 29-30, the Cambodian military once again violated the ceasefire agreement. The incidents are detailed as follows:
At Chong Khanma in Si Sa Ket, about 9.30pm on Tuesday, Cambodian troops opened fire with small arms at Thai positions. The clash continued until 10pm before subsiding. In the Preah Vihear area, Phu Makheu and Huai Thamariya in Si Sa Ket around 10pm on Tuesday, sustained small arms fire and mortar shelling were reported from the Cambodian side. Thai forces exercised their right to self-defence under international law. Sporadic fire continued into the morning of Wednesday. At Pha Mo E Daeng in Si Sa Ket at 5.17am Wednesday, mortar rounds were launched from Cambodian territory into Thai territory, clearly breaching the ceasefire.
Strong condemnation
"These latest actions by the Cambodian military constitutes a serious violation of the ceasefire agreement, marking the second such breach since the agreement came into effect. They reflect a clear disregard for international obligations, undermine efforts to solve the situation through peaceful means, and adversely affect the stability and mutual trust that should exist between the two nations," the army said.
"Thailand remains firmly committed to the principles of restraint, peace, and the highest standards of humanitarian conduct. However, should further violations occur, the army will take all necessary and appropriate measures to safeguard national sovereignty and ensure the safety of the Thai people."
Foreign military attachés to be invited
Thailand will bring foreign military attaches based in Thailand to visit the Thai-Cambodian border over the next couple of days, Nikorndej Balankura, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman said Wednesday. Mr Nikorndej was asked if Thailand would invite foreign military attaches to visit the scene of the border clash, as Cambodia was already doing so. He said Thailand's site visit would help the foreign military attaches gather first-hand information especially where non-military areas were attacked by Cambodian forces.
"The reason why we are slow in bringing these foreign military attaches to the site is ... we don't know when the Cambodian side would break the ceasefire deal, which could affect the security of the foreign military attaches," he said.
Speaking ahead of a Defence Council meeting, Deputy Defence Minister Natthapon Narkpanich said he told the army to coordinate the visit. The purpose was to show them the impact on Thai civilians of the Cambodian military's actions. He said the order was issued the previous night, and it remains unclear which countries will participate. Thailand is also seeking Malaysia's cooperation to observe the situation. Addressing Cambodia's ceasefire violations along the border, Gen Natthapon said Thailand will lodge a formal protest.
Responding to Cambodia's denial of ceasefire violations, Gen Natthapon said such behaviour is consistent with Cambodia's past conduct. Gen Natthapon said both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and armed forces have compiled evidence of Cambodian distortions, including aerial imagery and geospatial data from GISTDA and private sector sources. While this information will not be released at this stage, he said it will be presented during investigative proceedings to expose Cambodian misinformation.
Drone ban enforced across 14 provinces
In response to escalating border tensions, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has issued a strict ban on all drone flights within a 9-kilometre radius of airports and temporary landing zones in 14 provinces, including Trat, Chanthaburi, Sa Kaeo, and Ubon Ratchathani.
Violators face up to one year in prison, a fine of 40,000 baht, or both, said Rear Admiral Surasan Kongsiri, deputy spokesman of the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters. A General Border Committee (GBC) meeting will be held on Aug 4, and Thailand would participate. The Thai side is awaiting a formal invitation from Cambodia. He said discussions held on Tuesday at the regional commander level resulted in a general agreement on the framework for dialogue and coordinated actions between military units on both sides.
Formal protest
Maratee Nalita Andamo, deputy spokeswowan of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Thailand has submitted a letter of protest against the Cambodian ceasefire breach to the Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs, in Malaysia's capacity as Asean chair. The letter has also been sent to observer countries, including China and the United States, which participated in the ceasefire negotiations in Malaysia on Monday. Thai embassies and consulates worldwide are also taking an active role in clarifying the Thai-Cambodian border situation to the international community.
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