logo
Thai military prepared for 'high-level operation' if Cambodia border row escalates

Thai military prepared for 'high-level operation' if Cambodia border row escalates

Yahoo06-06-2025
By Juarawee Kittisilpa, Panu Wongcha-um
BANGKOK (Reuters) -Thailand's military said it is ready to launch a "high-level operation" to counter any violation of its sovereignty, in the strongest words yet in a simmering border dispute with Cambodia that re-erupted with a deadly clash last week.
The army said in a statement late on Thursday that its intelligence gathering indicated Cambodia had stepped up its military readiness at their border while diplomatic efforts were ongoing, describing that as "worrisome".
The statement was in sharp contrast with one from the government just hours earlier, when it urged Cambodia to positively engage in dialogue via an existing mechanism between them.
"The army is now ready for a high-level military operation in case it is necessary to retaliate against the violation of sovereignty," it said, ahead of a meeting of its armed forces top brass scheduled for Friday.
"Operations of units at the border have been conducted carefully, calmly and based on an understanding of the situation to prevent losses on all sides, but at the same time, are ready to defend the country's sovereignty to the fullest extent if the situation is called for."
Cambodia's government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Thai military statement on Friday.
The governments of the two countries had for days exchanged carefully worded statements committing to dialogue after a brief skirmish in an undemarcated border area on May 28 in which a Cambodian soldier was killed.
Although the two countries have a historic rivalry, their governments enjoy friendly ties, partly due to the close relationship between their influential former leaders, Thailand's Thaksin Shinawatra and Cambodia's Hun Sen, whose daughter and son respectively are now the prime ministers in their countries.
The issue comes at a tricky time for the Pheu Thai Party-led administration in Thailand as it battles to revive a flagging economy that could be hit by steep U.S. tariffs, while facing a challenge to its popularity having paused a signature cash handout to tens of millions of people.
The party of the billionaire Shinawatra family has a troubled history with the Thai military, which twice toppled its governments in 2006 and 2014 coups.
Deadly clashes between Cambodia and Thailand last erupted in 2011 over the Preah Vihear, a 900-year-old temple at the heart of a decades-long row that has stirred nationalist sentiment on both sides.
The International Court of Justice in 2013 ruled in favour of Cambodia in clarifying a 1962 decision to award it jurisdiction over the temple, saying part of the land around it was Cambodia's and Thai troops must withdraw from the area.
Cambodia said this week it is committed to peace and plans to resolve the issue by referring disputes over four parts of their border to the ICJ and has asked Thailand to cooperate. Thailand says it does not recognise the court's jurisdiction.
(Reporting Juarawee Kittisilpa; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by John Mair)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Thailand closes border crossings with Cambodia, recalls ambassador as tensions flare

time32 minutes ago

Thailand closes border crossings with Cambodia, recalls ambassador as tensions flare

BANGKOK -- Thailand said Wednesday it is closing border crossings with Cambodia from northeastern provinces, as well as withdrawing its ambassador from Cambodia and expelling Cambodia's ambassador, following a landmine incident in which a Thai soldier lost a leg. A Thai Army statement said five soldiers were wounded when one of them stepped on a land mine in a border area. The incident drew a swift response from the Thai government. Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the Foreign Ministry would make an official protest to Cambodia, and further measures would be considered. The landmine incident on Wednesday a week after three other Thai soldiers were wounded after one stepped on a land mine and lost a foot in a different area along the border, which has several small areas claimed by both countries. Thai authorities say that the mines were newly laid along paths that by mutual agreement were supposed to be safe. They said the mines were Russian-made and not of a type employed by Thailand's military. The army statement called on Cambodia 'to take responsibility for this incident, which constitutes a serious threat to peace and stability in the border region between the two countries.' Cambodia rejected the Thai version of the events as 'baseless accusations.' Defense Ministry spokespesrson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata said the landmine explosion took place on Cambodian territory and charged that Thailand had violated a 2000 agreement 'regarding the use of agreed paths for patrols.' Many border checkpoints had already been closed by one side or the other or operated with restrictions after relations between the neighbors deteriorated following an armed confrontation on May 28 in which one Cambodian soldier was killed in one of several small contested patches of land. Efforts to defuse the situation have been hindered by the nationalist passions that flared in both countries. There is historical enmity between the two nations. There have been major political consequences in Thailand, with former prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra suspended from office last month after making what critics saw as a disparaging comment about her country's military in a phone call to Cambodia's former Prime Minister Hun Sen, who leaked a recording of it. Cambodia has denied that it laid new mines along the border, pointing out that many unexploded mines and other ordnance remain all over the country, a legacy of civil war and unrest that began in 1970 and ended only in 1998. Since the end of that fighting, nearly 20,000 Cambodians have been killed and about 45,000 injured by leftover war explosives. The number of casualties has sharply declined over time; and last year there were only. 49 deaths. ——-

Thailand closes border crossings with Cambodia and recalls ambassador as tensions flare
Thailand closes border crossings with Cambodia and recalls ambassador as tensions flare

Hamilton Spectator

time34 minutes ago

  • Hamilton Spectator

Thailand closes border crossings with Cambodia and recalls ambassador as tensions flare

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand said Wednesday it is closing border crossings with Cambodia from northeastern provinces, as well as withdrawing its ambassador from Cambodia and expelling Cambodia's ambassador, following a landmine incident in which a Thai soldier lost a leg. A Thai Army statement said five soldiers were wounded when one of them stepped on a land mine in a border area. The incident drew a swift response from the Thai government. Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the Foreign Ministry would make an official protest to Cambodia, and further measures would be considered. The landmine incident on Wednesday a week after three other Thai soldiers were wounded after one stepped on a land mine and lost a foot in a different area along the border, which has several small areas claimed by both countries. Thai authorities say that the mines were newly laid along paths that by mutual agreement were supposed to be safe. They said the mines were Russian-made and not of a type employed by Thailand's military. The army statement called on Cambodia 'to take responsibility for this incident, which constitutes a serious threat to peace and stability in the border region between the two countries.' Cambodia rejected the Thai version of the events as 'baseless accusations.' Defense Ministry spokespesrson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata said the landmine explosion took place on Cambodian territory and charged that Thailand had violated a 2000 agreement 'regarding the use of agreed paths for patrols.' Many border checkpoints had already been closed by one side or the other or operated with restrictions after relations between the neighbors deteriorated following an armed confrontation on May 28 in which one Cambodian soldier was killed in one of several small contested patches of land. Efforts to defuse the situation have been hindered by the nationalist passions that flared in both countries. There is historical enmity between the two nations. There have been major political consequences in Thailand, with former prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra suspended from office last month after making what critics saw as a disparaging comment about her country's military in a phone call to Cambodia's former Prime Minister Hun Sen, who leaked a recording of it. Cambodia has denied that it laid new mines along the border, pointing out that many unexploded mines and other ordnance remain all over the country, a legacy of civil war and unrest that began in 1970 and ended only in 1998. Since the end of that fighting, nearly 20,000 Cambodians have been killed and about 45,000 injured by leftover war explosives. The number of casualties has sharply declined over time; and last year there were only. 49 deaths. ——- Associated Press writer Sopheng Cheang in Phnom Penh, Cambodia contributed to this report. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store