Cambodia’s government condemned Thailand’s imposition of stringent border controls that effectively block tourist crossings, labelling the move a deliberate escalation of tensions following a fatal armed clash on 28 May, AP News reported.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra ordered heightened restrictions on Monday, permitting only students, medical patients, and those with essential needs to cross land checkpoints.
The restrictions compound existing friction after a 28 May confrontation in contested border territory left one Cambodian soldier dead. Though both nations pledged to de-escalate, Cambodia’s spokesperson Pen Bona asserted Thailand’s actions had inflamed tensions.
The Cambodian government has already stated that we will not initiate any border closure.
Cambodia retaliated with boycotts of Thai internet services, produce, and energy supplies. Prior to the dispute, Thailand supplied 30% of Cambodia’s fuel, a dependency now severed. Prime Minister Hun Manet, visiting evacuated civilians near the border, declared:
We cannot stand by and let us be abused.
Paetongtarn concurrently announced measures targeting online scam hubs in Cambodia, including export bans on scam-related equipment and international coordination against cybercrime. Pen Bona acknowledged Cambodia faces scam exploitation but accused Thailand of deflection.
Thailand previously disrupted scam networks in Myanmar by cutting utilities to border towns, signalling a regional pattern of using economic pressure for security objectives.
