Thousands of refugees remain displaced in Cambodia months after border tensions with Thailand escalated, with hardship continuing in provinces along the frontier, according to a Catholic missionary working in the country.
“There are still thousands of refugees in Cambodia; precariousness and suffering are prevalent among the population of the provinces bordering Thailand,” said Father Paul Chatsirey Roeung, a Thai missionary serving in Cambodia, in an interview with the Vatican’s Fides News Agency.
Roeung, a member of the Thai Mission Society and national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Cambodia and Laos, works in the Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh and regularly travels between Thailand and Cambodia because of his pastoral responsibilities.
“The tension and mutual hostility are still palpable; it is evident in the way the two sides speak and look at each other,” he said. “But now the real battle has shifted and is being fought on social media.”
The two Southeast Asian neighbors have been affected by a border conflict since 2025, with restrictions on movement still in place. “The border between Thailand and Cambodia remains closed. We can only travel by plane, while the bus route has to go through Laos,” Roeung said. “Relations are tense, and diplomatic discussions are underway as each side tries to present its version of events to the media and the international community.”
Roeung said political developments in Thailand could shape the next phase of the situation. “We will have to wait for the results of the elections in Thailand,” scheduled for Feb. 8, he said. “We will see what the government will be and whether, with the new administration in Bangkok, concrete steps can be taken to reduce tension, promote dialogue and peace, and restore normal relations between the two neighboring countries.”
In Cambodia, the Ministry of the Interior reported that nearly 500,000 people, or about 80% of the country’s 640,000 internally displaced persons, have been reintegrated or are returning to their communities. More than 100,000 displaced people, however, remain in refugee camps.
Humanitarian assistance continues in affected areas. Caritas Cambodia is assisting thousands of displaced families, particularly those sheltering in pagodas, Buddhist temple complexes, or schools, providing support aimed at ensuring safety and dignity.
Caritas volunteers have distributed food and essential goods to displaced families in border provinces, including Preah Vihear, Siem Reap, Odor Meanchey, and Banteay Meanchey.
