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Boston Globe
26-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Military clash between Thailand and Cambodia expands along shared border
Thai authorities said that Cambodian troops expanded their attack zone to the area of Ban Chamrak in Trat province, part of southeastern Thailand, at 5:10 a.m. Saturday. The Thai naval forces, who aid in land defense in that part of the country, said that within half an hour they had succeeded in pushing Cambodian forces back. Cambodia said it was Thai troops who had expanded the conflict, firing into several areas including Cambodia's Pursat province, which borders Trat, according to Maly Socheata, a spokesperson for Cambodia's defense ministry. The Pursat and Trat provinces are about 200 miles south of where the conflict began Thursday. Advertisement Since Friday night, more than 3,000 people from Trat have evacuated, according to Trat TV, a local television station. The province, which borders the Gulf of Thailand, is a popular tourist destination, famed for its numerous islands with white-sand beaches and coral reefs. The fighting is occurring about a 90-minute drive from the ferry terminal where tourists board boats. Advertisement Pornphen, a Thai resident from the Muang district in Trat, said she had fled Friday with her mother-in-law to a friend's house in a central province. Pornphen asked to be identified by only her first name because she has Cambodian relatives and feared for her family's safety. 'I hope the fight can stop now,' she said, speaking by telephone. 'I fear that both sides may lose all the reasoning and be blinded by hatred toward one another. Thais and Cambodians used to be good neighbors. Don't let this be the end.' Cambodia's defense ministry said that Thai troops had 'expanded their invasion' to other provinces such as Banteay Meanchey. Video footage showed Thai tanks near the Rong Kluea Market area, one of the largest markets near Banteay Meanchey. Cambodia shut down its airspace over areas where there was fighting, according to Sin Chansereyvutha, a spokesperson for Cambodia's State Secretariat of Civil Aviation. Thailand's army warned that Cambodia had deployed the 'PHL-03 missile,' a missile system capable of firing multiple missiles up to 80 miles from the launch position. Maly Socheata denied this assertion, calling it fake news invented by Thailand. The Saturday attack came a day after representatives of Cambodia and Thailand spoke at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, with each side accusing the other of escalating the violence. Both sides appealed to other countries to 'not look away.' More than 131,000 people in Thailand have evacuated from areas along the border, while in Cambodia, 35,000 people have fled their homes. Advertisement 'If this conflict escalates, the peace and stability of the entire Southeast Asian region will be at stake,' said Chhea Keo, Cambodia's ambassador to the United Nations. The United States, China, and Malaysia, which is the current chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, have offered to facilitate talks. But Bangkok wants to negotiate directly. Malaysia has tried to broker a cease-fire, which Cambodia says must be 'swift and unconditional.' Thailand said it agreed 'in principle' to the deal but accused Cambodia of continuing its 'indiscriminate attacks on Thai territory.' On Saturday morning, Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Thai prime minister and an influential player in Thai politics, visited evacuees at a shelter in Ubon Ratchathani province. A public rift between Thaksin and his longtime friend Hun Sen, Cambodia's de facto leader, has inflamed their countries' conflict. On Saturday, Thaksin denied there being any problem between the men, but then said that Hun Sun was the 'type of person that starts things on suspicion, and builds a nationalistic trend in the country beyond the normal level.' Hun Sen also had unkind words for his old friend. In a Facebook post, he accused Thaksin of 'resorting to war' out of personal revenge, 'the ultimate consequence of which will be the suffering of the people.' Chairat Jongjaroenlarp, 28, a resident of Trat's Muang district, said he fled his home Saturday morning to his cousin's house in central Thailand. 'I'm glad that I'm safe, but also sad that this clash is getting out of hand,' he said. 'War shouldn't exist in this day and age. Why can't we just be nice and be kind to one another?' This article originally appeared in Advertisement
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
25-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Cambodia-Thailand flights operating as usual
Jet liners on the tarmac at Phnom Penh International Airport. Hin Pisei PHNOM PENH: Despite Thailand's unilateral decision to close all land borders with Cambodia on June 23, flight operations between Cambodia and Thailand are continuing as usual up to the present. Sinn Chansereyvutha, secretary of state and spokesperson for Cambodia's State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA), told The Post that as of 9am on June 25, 2025, there has been no suspension of flights between Cambodia and Thailand. Flights on the Phnom Penh–Bangkok and Siem Reap–Bangkok routes are still operating normally. 'As of now, there has been no cancellation or suspension of flights between Phnom Penh and Bangkok or Siem Reap and Bangkok. In fact, the number of passengers travelling on the Bangkok–Siem Reap–Bangkok route has increased compared to last week,' he said. According to Chansereyvutha, there are currently 78 weekly flights between Phnom Penh and Bangkok operated by nine carriers (three Cambodian and six foreign). Meanwhile, there are 38 weekly flights between Siem Reap and Bangkok, operated by three airlines: Bangkok Airways, Thai Air Asia and Emirates. Thai Airways is planning to launch flights on this route in October. The SSCA reported that in the first five months of 2025, the aviation sector across Cambodia's three international airports (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap-Angkor and Preah Sihanouk) improved significantly. There were a total of 27,670 inbound and outbound flights, a 14% increase compared to the same period in 2024. The number of air passengers (inbound and outbound) reached 3,042,548, marking an 18% increase, while air cargo (inbound and outbound) totalled 29,019 tonnes — a 5% increase. Data from the Ministry of Tourism shows that from January to April 2025, Cambodia received a total of 2.4 million international tourists, an increase of 13.6% compared to the same period in 2024. Of this number, 1.35 million (56.2%) entered via land borders, 1.01 million (42.1%) by air and 40,159 (1.7%) by water. Interestingly, among the foreign visitors, Thai nationals made up the largest group, with a total of 674,134 visitors a 14.6% increase compared to the same period in 2024. This is expected to reduce dramatically. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
The Star
10-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Cambodia tourism minister suggests additional South Korean air links
PHNOM PENH: Cambodia has requested that Asiana Airlines explore the possibility of operating flights between South Korea and the Kingdom's Siem Reap and Preah Sihanouk provinces. At present, the Seoul-headquartered airline flies to Phnom Penh. Prior to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the airline served Cambodia's two provincial international airports. This proposal was raised by Minister of Tourism Huot Hak, during a June 5 meeting with Park Jongman, vice-CEO and head of Passenger Affairs at the airline, in Seoul. During the meeting, Hak expressed his appreciation for the company's contribution to providing safe and comfortable air transport services between Cambodia and South Korea. He urged the airline to consider expanding its direct flights to Siem Reap and Preah Sihanouk, which are both considered popular tourist areas in Cambodia. 'We requested continued assistance and suggested examining the possibility of further expansion through direct and regular flights to Siem Reap and Preah Sihanouk provinces, which are popular tourist destinations, to provide a level of convenience to Korean and other international guests and investors travelling to Cambodia,' he said. Sinn Chanserey Vutha, spokesperson for the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA), told The Post on June 9 that the authorities are constantly working to attract more international airlines and foreign visitors to Cambodia. 'We welcome all airlines wishing to fly to Cambodia. The country is fully prepared to receive flights as well as tourists and foreign investors coming to visit Cambodia,' he said. On Sept 9, the new Techo International Airport will commence operations. The facility is a 'Greenfield' airport, meaning it was built on area that was previously undeveloped land, in this case, 2,600 hectares in Kandal province, about 19km south of Phnom Penh. A 4F-category airport, it was designed to accommodate large aircraft such as the Airbus A380-800 and Boeing 747-800. The airport is being developed in three phases, Phase 1 (2020–2030) will handle 15 million passengers per year, Phase 2 (2030–2050) will see capacity grow to 30 million and Phase 3 (after 2050) will reach 45 million. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
