Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia escalated this week after the Thai military unilaterally shut down all land border crossings with its eastern neighbor, further straining ties already frayed by a decades-old territorial dispute.
Cambodian authorities confirmed the closures took effect on the night of June 23. According to the Thai army, border points in six provinces have been sealed off, with exemptions granted only to students and individuals seeking medical treatment. All other travel and transport have been suspended.
The move follows a deadly clash on May 28 in the “Emerald Triangle,” a disputed forested zone where the borders of Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos converge. One Cambodian soldier was killed in the incident, with both sides accusing the other of firing first.
The closure is the latest in a series of tit-for-tat actions between the two countries. Earlier this month, Thailand reduced border operating hours and temporarily shut some crossings.
In response, Cambodia suspended electricity imports and closed the Daung international checkpoint in Battambang province on June 12, citing “security reasons.”
“This dispute has existed for more than a century and dates back to the time of the French colonial empire,” said Bishop Enrique Figaredo, Apostolic Prefect of Battambang, in an interview with Fides News Agency.
“The parties involved are basing their decision on a map from 1907, which France, which occupied Cambodia as a colonial power until 1953, first used to draw the border between the two countries,” the prelate added.
Thailand rejects the binding authority of the 1907 map, while Cambodia has brought the dispute over four contested territories before the International Court of Justice—a move Thailand refuses to recognize or participate in.
The two countries share an 820-kilometer border dotted with contested areas. While political disagreements persist at the national level, the impact is being acutely felt in local communities.
“It should be noted that this crisis is causing hardship and inconvenience for ordinary people,” Bishop Figaredo said.
“The border between Cambodia and Thailand is indeed very porous and is constantly crossed by a lively trade and workers. The closure of the border blocks the flow of people and goods, so vital to social, economic, and cultural life,” he added.
In Battambang province, where the bishop serves, families have been cut off and livelihoods disrupted. “The local people are experiencing this phase with great disappointment, surprise, and confusion,” he noted.
The prelate said there are “hundreds of displaced people, people stuck on the other side of the border who cannot return home.”
The standoff has fueled nationalist sentiment in both countries. Thai authorities have barred citizens and tourists from entering the Cambodian city of Poipet, whose economy is heavily reliant on Thai visitors frequenting its eight casinos.
Thailand has also framed the closures as part of broader efforts to combat transnational crime. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said the border measures are intended to help “paralyze” illegal activities, including cyber fraud and human trafficking networks operating in the region.
The two countries previously coordinated a raid on a fraud hub in Poipet that housed hundreds of trafficked foreign workers.
In early 2025, Thailand imposed restrictions on electricity, fuel, and internet access in parts of Myanmar as part of a crackdown on similar operations.
Cybercrime networks, often referred to as “scam cities,” have become entrenched across Southeast Asia, particularly in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, raising regional security concerns.
With no diplomatic resolution in sight, the ongoing dispute continues to upend lives and livelihoods on both sides of the border.
