Thailand has banned tourists and travelers from entering Cambodia as a bitter border dispute between the two countries intensifies. The ban blocks all vehicles and people crossing from several Thai provinces and stops foreign tourists from flying into Cambodia’s Siem Reap.
Thailand Shuts Border After Clashes Kill Soldier
The Thai military announced on Monday that the new restrictions fit the current security risks. Tensions have soared since deadly clashes along the border in May killed a Cambodian soldier. In response, both countries began trading harsh penalties.
Cambodia blocked imports from Thailand, including fruits, vegetables, electricity, internet services, and Thai dramas and movies. Thai authorities said some exceptions to the ban may be allowed for students or medical patients if approved at border checkpoints.
The military added that the restrictions also aim to disrupt illegal scam networks operating in Cambodia.
PM’s Leaked Call Fuels Political Crisis
The Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra vowed to crack down on scams, promising actions like cutting internet services used by Cambodian security agencies. She also announced a ban on foreign tourists flying from Thailand to Siem Reap.
Thailand previously applied similar measures against Myanmar, where scam networks trapped thousands of foreigners.
The dispute has now triggered a political storm in Thailand. A leaked phone call between Paetongtarn and Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen drew widespread criticism. In the call, she called him “uncle” and told him to ignore a Thai military commander who “just wanted to look cool.”
Paetongtarn defended her remarks as a negotiation strategy, but critics accused her of weakening the army’s authority. After the controversy, a key coalition partner of her Pheu Thai party left the alliance, deepening the crisis.
The roots of this dispute go back to more than a century to border lines drawn after France’s colonial rule over Cambodia.
