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The Star
26-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Cambodia bans flights across fighting zones with Thailand
BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH: Cambodia's State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) on Saturday (July 26) prohibited all flights from flying across fighting zones with Thailand, a spokesperson said. Sinn Chanserey Vutha, who is also the SSCA's secretary of state, said all airlines had been informed to avoid flying over conflict zones and the scope of prohibition had been expanded to Poipet City, Pailin province and part of Siem Reap province. "All flights have been instructed to avoid flying over these airspaces, and the planes must not fly lower than 1,200 meters above sea level," he said in an audio message released to the media. Vutha said the measures were to ensure flight operations and the safety of the planes and passengers. He added that as of 10 am local time on July 26, international flights from Phnom Penh to Bangkok and Siem Reap to Bangkok are operating as usual, as planes altered their routes to avoid prohibited airspaces. Armed clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers in border areas broke out on Thursday in Cambodian provinces of Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear, and spread to Pursat province on Saturday morning, Cambodian Defense Ministry's Undersecretary of State and Spokesperson, Lieutenant General Maly Socheata, said in a press briefing. At least 13 Cambodian people died and 71 others were injured in border clashes with Thailand, a Cambodian defense spokesperson said Saturday. According to Thai media, the border clashes started for the third day on Saturday morning after the Cambodian side opened fire against Thai troops. "Five Cambodian soldiers were killed and 21 others were wounded," Cambodian Defense Ministry's Undersecretary of State and Spokesperson Maly Socheata told a press briefing. "Also, eight civilians died and 50 others were injured in Oddar Meanchey province." People flee their homes near the border between Cambodia and Thailand in Oddar Meanchey province, Cambodia, on July 25, 2025. - Photo: AFP In the latest development, the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense said the Thai army on Saturday expanded its military attacks to another Cambodian province, Pursat. Thai Public Broadcasting Service reported that the border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia started for the third day on Saturday, after the Cambodian side opened fire in the early morning against Thai troops in Thailand's Trat province and the Thai side responded. The Thai Navy has launched "Trat Strike 1" operation in response to Cambodia's new attack, and has successfully pushed back the Cambodian incursion at three key points, Thai Ministry of Defence spokesperson's office said on Saturday. The Thai Navy has dispatched a task force of four vessels to support the operation in Trat province, ready to provide fire support to ground forces, the National Broadcasting Services of Thailand reported on Saturday. The situation escalated following skirmishes that began Thursday morning. Each side blamed the other for violating international law. Martial law On Friday, the Thai Navy imposed martial law in several districts within the eastern coastal provinces of Chanthaburi and Trat, citing national security concerns along the border with Cambodia. The Chanthaburi and Trat Border Defense Command announced the order on Friday evening, making it effective immediately across eight districts in the two provinces. In a statement, the Thai Navy said the measure is necessary for maintaining peace and order and protecting Thailand's sovereignty, as well as the lives and property of its citizens. The Thai Navy cited past incursions by armed forces from Cambodia as justification for the heightened security posture. The Thai army said in a social media post on Friday that six soldiers have been killed since Thursday. One soldier from the Second Army Region was killed on Thursday and another five were killed on Friday, according to the army. Cluster munitions Meanwhile, Thai army spokesperson Winthai Suvaree said Thailand will consider using cluster munitions to enhance target destruction capabilities when necessary. He made the remarks in response to Cambodia's accusation on Thursday that the Thai army had used internationally banned cluster munitions along the Cambodian border, posing a threat to its civilians, deminers and local communities. Winthai said in a statement that as Thailand is not a party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, it is not bound by the convention's provisions. He stressed that Thai military operations adhere to the principle of "proportionality" and cluster munitions will only be used against military targets to enhance explosive effectiveness. Thai Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Bangkok, Thailand, July 25, 2025. - Photo: Xinhua Ceasefire 'based on appropriate on-the-ground conditions' Also on Friday, the Thai Foreign Ministry said Thailand will consider a ceasefire, but it must be based on appropriate on-the-ground conditions. In a statement, the ministry said the Thai government wishes to thank Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for the offer of a ceasefire, "which Thailand fully agrees with in principle and will consider". However, the ministry pointed out that Cambodian forces have continued their "indiscriminate attacks" on Thai territory throughout the day on Friday. "Any ceasefire must be based on appropriate on-the-ground conditions. Thailand places utmost priority on the safety and security of civilians, and at this moment, Cambodia's actions demonstrate a lack of good faith and continue to place civilians in danger," said the statement, adding that the Thai government "has the obligation to protect its sovereignty and its people to the fullest extent." Thai Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura stressed Thailand remains committed to resolving its ongoing border conflict with Cambodia through bilateral negotiations and calls on the international community to urge Cambodia to return to the negotiating table. Thailand remains firm in its position stated all along since the beginning of the tension that Thailand wants to resolve the dispute through peaceful means and through bilateral dialogue, which Thailand still considers as "the only way out", Nikorndej told Xinhua in an interview. "We are willing to talk," he said, adding that "the precondition would be a ceasefire from the Cambodian side." Tensions have remained high along the Thai-Cambodian border in recent weeks, including two incidents in which Thai soldiers were injured by landmines. Nikorndej said that the Thai side determined the mines had been recently planted inside Thai territory by the Cambodian side, for which Thailand lodged a protest with Cambodia. Nikorndej blamed the escalation on Cambodian "provocation," in which Cambodian troops first opened fire and subsequently targeted non-military sites, resulting in civilian casualties. "This is unacceptable to the Thai military," he said. Nevertheless, Nikorndej emphasized that Thailand is trying to contain the conflict to military targets along the border to avoid harm to civilians. Commenting on Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's reaching out to leaders of both Thailand and Cambodia in his capacity as current Asean chair, Nikorndej said Thailand views the issue as a bilateral matter, "not an Asean issue," and wants to exhaust all bilateral mechanisms first. "If the bilateral mechanism does not work, the issue is still bilateral in nature. We would be okay if Malaysia would try and help bring Thailand and Cambodia to discuss bilaterally on the table," he said. - Xinhua
Hans India
26-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Cambodian civil aviation authority bans flights from flying across fighting zones with Thailand
Cambodia's State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) on Saturday prohibited all flights from flying across fighting zones with Thailand, a spokesperson said. Sinn Chanserey Vutha, who is also the SSCA's secretary of state, said all airlines had been informed to avoid flying over conflict zones and the scope of prohibition had been expanded to Poipet City, Pailin province and part of Siem Reap province. "All flights have been instructed to avoid flying over these airspaces, and the planes must not fly lower than 1,200 meters above sea level," he said in an audio message released to the media. Vutha said the measures were to ensure flight operations and the safety of the planes and passengers. He added that as of 10 a.m. local time on July 26, international flights from Phnom Penh to Bangkok and Siem Reap to Bangkok are operating as usual, as planes altered their routes to avoid prohibited airspaces. Clashes continued at several areas along the Thailand-Cambodia border, with Cambodian forces conducting sustained bombardment utilising heavy weapons, field artillery, and BM-21 rocket systems, said reports. Thai forces responded with appropriate supporting fire in accordance with the tactical situation and issued advisories to local civilians to avoid entering areas of clashes. Early on Friday, the sound of artillery fire was heard again near the border area, the National Broadcasting Services of Thailand reported, citing a local official in Surin province. According to the deputy spokesperson of the Thai Ministry of Public Health, 14 Thai people were killed and 46 others injured in military clashes near the Thailand-Cambodia border as of 9:00 p.m. local time on Thursday. Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey deputy governor, Met Meas Pheakdey, told Xinhua over the telephone that one villager was killed and five others were wounded on Thursday when the Thai side fired artillery shells into Cambodian territory.
The Star
05-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Cambodia sees 16 per cent rise in international air passengers in first half of 2025
PHNOM PENH (Xinhua): Cambodia has recorded a total of 3.42 million international air passengers in the first half of 2025, a year-on-year increase of 16 per cent, said an official report on Saturday. Released by the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA), the report said that during the January-June period this year, most air travelers to the kingdom were from China, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, and Japan. SSCA's Secretary of State and spokesperson Sinn Chanserey Vutha said the kingdom is forecast to handle about 7.5 million air passengers in the entirety of 2025, an expected increase of 20 percent from 6.24 million in 2024. He was confident that the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, which was put into official use in November 2023, and the Techo International Airport, which is scheduled to open to official operation in September 2025, would help attract more international airlines and passengers to Cambodia. "The two new international airports are capable of handling the landing of almost all kinds of aircraft from across the world, so I believe that they will be able to attract more reputable international airlines to operate direct flights to Cambodia," he told Xinhua. The Southeast Asian country currently has three international airports in operation. T hey are the Phnom Penh International Airport, the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, and the Sihanouk International Airport. - Xinhua
The Star
08-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Cambodia records 18 pct rise in air travelers in first 4 months: spokesperson
PHNOM PENH, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has registered a total of 2.52 million air passengers in the first four months of 2025, a year-on-year increase of 18 percent, a spokesperson said on Thursday. Sinn Chanserey Vutha, who is also a secretary of state for the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, said international and domestic airlines had operated 22,686 flights to the kingdom's three international airports during the January-April period this year, up 17 percent compared to the same period last year. He said that the Southeast Asian country also saw an 8 percent rise in air cargo volume to 22,350 tons. Chanserey Vutha said Cambodia is forecast to receive 7.5 million air passengers in 2025, up from 6.24 million in 2024. He was confident that the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, which was put into official use in November 2023, and the Techo International Airport, which is scheduled to open to commercial operations in July 2025, would help attract more international airlines and passengers to Cambodia. "The two new international airports are capable of handling the landing of almost all kinds of aircraft from across the world, so I believe that they will be able to attract more reputable international airlines to operate direct flights to Cambodia," he told Xinhua recently.
