Thailand tightens Cambodian border restrictions as tensions rise
Thailand raised the border restrictions on Monday. Tensions have been escalating since a military clash in May left a Cambodian soldier dead. Most border crossings with Cambodia are closed, except for students, medical patients, and those with essential needs.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra says its measures are targeting transnational online scams based in Cambodia.
A Cambodian government spokesperson said on Tuesday that his country has already taken stringent measures to suppress cybercrimes. He said Thailand has a similar problem with such scams, and accused Paetongtarn of diverting her own nation's issues to Cambodia.
The Thai premier is under pressure from coalition members to show a stronger stance in the disputes. A phone conversation between Paetongtarn and Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen earlier this month was leaked and it appeared to show her disrespect for a Thai commander.
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Japan Times
36 minutes ago
- Japan Times
Thai leader's suspension deals new blow to battered economy
Thailand's ruling coalition was already fraying when a court suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Tuesday, raising fresh doubts about her survival, the country's economy and the future of a dynasty that has loomed over the Southeast Asian nation for decades. In a blow to a country long plagued by political instability, the Constitutional Court sidelined the 38-year-old leader over a complaint linked to a leaked phone call in which she appeared to criticize the army and side with Cambodia in a border dispute — a potential breach of conduct under the constitution. She has 15 days to respond. For now, Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit leads a shaky coalition. The developments couldn't come at a worse time for Thailand: once feted as an Asian Tiger economy for its export-led growth, the country is mired in slow growth relative to its peers, with households burdened by debt, a budget bill outstanding and the imminent threat of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs weighing down expectations. The government slashed its 2025 growth forecast by a full percentage point to 1.3% in May. Over at the central bank, Gov. Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput is due to leave Sept. 30, and a successor has yet to be named. "No one is at the helm, and the Thai ship is going nowhere,' said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor of political science at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. "The budget bill has to be passed, so that's coming up with the wobbly, weak coalition government.' Amid all the turmoil, the Bhumjaithai Party, the ruling coalition's biggest partner, exited last month following weeks of infighting, and there's no guarantee now that others that had promised to stay won't follow. The court has yet to say how long it will deliberate, while a prolonged delay risks deepening the political vacuum, said Napon Jatusripitak, acting coordinator of the Thailand Studies Program at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. "Thailand appears destined for a prolonged struggle to find a new prime minister and a political deadlock that could jeopardize the country's already fragile economic situation,' he said. Shinawatra, third right, greets the media before leaving the Government House in Bangkok on Tuesday. | Bloomberg Looming over everything is Thailand's influential military, which has led about a dozen coups since the kingdom's absolute monarchy was abolished in 1932 and has long been a key power broker in the country. The military and pro-military political parties were the key forces behind Paetongtarn's eventual ascension to power after a key opposition party couldn't secure enough support to form a government following national elections two years ago. That uneasy alliance paved the way for Paetongtarn's father, Thaksin Shinawatra, to return from a long exile. Even with the court's suspension, Paetongtarn isn't totally sidelined from power. Hours before the ruling Tuesday, she was named culture minister in a reshuffle expected to keep her in government. The new cabinet will be sworn in Thursday. But the damage may be permanent. A recent poll showed Paetongtarn's approval rating at 9.2%. Thousands have protested, calling for her resignation. Paetongtarn said Tuesday she accepts the court's ruling but gave little clarity on her future. "I'm still a Thai citizen,' she said. "I will continue to work for the country while my duties are suspended.' Even so, fears are growing the government could collapse before the next budget passes. The 2026 fiscal plan, due by August, is at risk. Burin Adulwattana, chief economist at Kasikorn Research Center, said a lame-duck government would add uncertainty, hurting the baht and stocks. 'Big trouble' "A key impact will be felt if the political turmoil leads to a budget delay,' he said. "Without it, the economy will have big trouble.' The baht fell 0.1% on Wednesday morning. The yield on Thailand's benchmark 10-year bonds was little changed after declining three basis points a day earlier. The benchmark stock index, the world's worst-performing major equity market globally this year, rallied 1.9% Tuesday on expectations that Paetongtarn's suspension will help reduce political tension. Whether things play out that way is far from certain. "This suspension exerts further downside risk to a growth outlook already mired in uncertainty from U.S. tariffs,' said Lavanya Venkateswaran an economist at Oversea-Chinese Banking in Singapore. "The real question is, what next. That needs to be answered sooner rather than later considering the stakes.' If the court ultimately rules against Paetongtarn, she will be removed from office, triggering a parliamentary vote to pick a replacement from a list submitted before the 2023 election. Along with her father and aunt, Yingluck, Paetongtarn would be the third of the Shinawatra clan to be removed from office. Potential replacements Possible successors include the Pheu Thai party's Chaikasem Nitisiri, Bhumjaithai's Anutin Charnvirakul, United Thai Nation's Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, and the Democrat Party's Jurin Laksanawisit. Former Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha — who led the last coup — is also eligible. And while a military takeover is always possible in Thailand, frustration over the country's economic performance under Prayuth ultimately pressured his government to allow for elections. "The decision by the court today has heightened the coup risk a bit,' said Thitinan of Chulalongkorn University. But "the last time they had a coup, they did not do well.'
The Diplomat
15 hours ago
- The Diplomat
Charm and Coercion Shape China's Expanding Security Footprint in Southeast Asia
Beijing seeks to replace the U.S. as a primary security partner for Southeast Asian states, and it has been actively pursuing that goal in recent years. In recent years, China's defense diplomacy in Southeast Asia has intensified, signaling a calculated shift in regional strategy. While economic entanglement through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has long been Beijing's primary tool for regional influence, China's increasingly visible military engagements with Southeast Asian states point to a deeper, more comprehensive strategic posture – it seeks to replace the United States' role as a dominant security player in Southeast Asia. China views Southeast Asia as its backyard, given the geographic proximity between the two regions. As it is already a dominant trade partner for Southeast Asia, China is puzzled that the region's preferred security partner is the United States. Beijing thus seeks to replace the U.S. as a primary security partner for Southeast Asian states, and it has been actively pursuing that goal in recent years. Beijing's defense outreach to Southeast Asia is broad and multifaceted. It includes joint military exercises, arms sales, and high-level defense dialogues. China has conducted bilateral and multilateral exercises with Southeast Asian states, offered defense equipment and training to Laos and Myanmar, and conducted naval visits to Malaysia. This year, China institutionalized defense dialogue mechanisms with Southeast Asian states. It expanded the traditional '2+2' defense and diplomacy dialogue mechanism with Vietnam into a '3+3' – to include public security matters. Beijing has also established 2+2 dialogue mechanisms with Indonesia and Cambodia. Beijing often frames these interactions as win-win cooperation and part of its 'Community of Shared Future' doctrine, emphasizing non-interference and mutual development. However, such overtures can be interpreted as a soft-power expansion designed to recalibrate the regional balance in its favor. One of China's most notable defense relationships in the region is with Cambodia. Since Cambodia-U.S. bilateral relations started to cool nearly 15 years ago over human rights issues, China has stepped in to become the primary security partner for Phnom Penh. Through military assistance and infrastructure support, including the controversial expansion of the Ream Naval Base, China has effectively secured a strategic foothold in the small Southeast Asian kingdom. Thailand, traditionally a treaty ally of the U.S., has also drifted closer to China. Joint air force exercises such as Falcon Strike and frequent naval cooperation reflect a recalibration of Bangkok's defense diplomacy. Furthermore, China has become the largest arm supplier for the Thai armed forces. Thailand maintains ties with both the United States and China, and therefore, its increasing openness to Chinese military hardware and engagement signals a hedging strategy – balancing between two powers in an increasingly multipolar Asia. China's defense ties with Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines remain more cautious and transactional. These countries, all of which have maritime disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea, view defense cooperation through a more pragmatic lens. Indonesia, for instance, remains wary of Chinese incursions into its exclusive economic zone around the Natuna Islands. Bilateral defense ties between China and Malaysia are warm, with the latter acquiring four Chinese warships in 2016. However, the Malaysians are building up their defense capabilities on Borneo to defend their maritime interests in the South China Sea, where they have overlapping claims with the Chinese. The Philippines, under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has reversed his predecessor's China-friendly approach, pivoting back toward the United States and actively contesting Chinese actions in the West Philippine Sea. Beijing's military engagement with Southeast Asia is not occurring in a vacuum – it is unfolding amid rising great power competition and against the backdrop of China's growing assertiveness in regional disputes. While China speaks the language of peace and development, its parallel military build-up in the South China Sea, construction of artificial islands, and harassment of regional maritime activities suggest a dual strategy: charm on the surface, coercion when challenged. In sum, China's expanding defense cooperation with Southeast Asia reflects both an opportunity and a challenge for regional states. It offers the region new avenues for engagement and capacity-building, but also tests its resilience against a future where partnership may blur into pressure. How Southeast Asia navigates this duality will shape the region's security architecture for years to come.
NHK
18 hours ago
- NHK
Design flaws blamed for deadly Bangkok building collapse
Inspectors in Thailand have concluded their probe into the collapse of a Bangkok high-rise during a March earthquake. The disaster, which killed over 90, was blamed on design and construction flaws. The 30-storey building was the only structure in the capital to crumble in the massive March 28th earthquake centered in Myanmar. The Thai government announced the findings on Monday. It said elevator shaft and stairwell walls were improperly designed and built. Substandard concrete was also to blame. The project was a joint venture between a major Thai builder and a local subsidiary of a Chinese state-owned company. Police have charged multiple company executives and related individuals for negligence. The findings will be handed over to police investigators for further legal proceedings.
