Cambodia’s closure of its checkpoint at Poipet has prevented the return of thousands of Thai workers who had gathered there, as fighting displaced more than half a million people and killed nearly 40 on both sides since last Monday.
Fighting Intensifies Along Disputed Frontier
The militaries of the Southeast Asian neighbours have clashed at several locations along their 817-kilometre (508-mile) land border, with no sign of the violence easing despite international efforts to broker a ceasefire.
Clashes have stretched from forested inland areas near the Laos border to coastal provinces, marking one of the most intense episodes of fighting between the two countries in recent history.
Cambodia Defends Closure, Cites Civilian Safety
Cambodia’s influential former leader Hun Sen said the checkpoint closure was intended to protect civilians from what he described as indiscriminate firing by Thai forces in the area.
He said border checkpoints in areas free of fighting remained open and that air travel in and out of Cambodia was unrestricted.
Thailand Offers Alternative Routes Home
Thailand’s foreign ministry said Thai nationals stranded in Poipet could seek assistance from the consulate in the nearby city of Siem Reap to arrange flights home.
It urged other Thai citizens still in Cambodia to contact officials if they required help leaving the country.
International Efforts Fail to Halt Clashes
Efforts to end the fighting have included calls from U.S. President Donald Trump, who previously helped broker an end to a separate five-day conflict by using trade negotiations as leverage.
Despite these efforts, there has been no immediate breakthrough.
Military Statements Signal Continued Hostilities
“The army said there has been continuous fighting across the border line. The situation is still in flux,” said Surasant Kongsiri, a spokesman for Thailand’s defence ministry, adding that clashes had been reported in eight border provinces.
Cambodia’s defence ministry said its forces would “continue to stand strong, brave and steadfast in their fight against the aggressor.”
Thai Government Denies External Pressure
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said there was no international pressure on Thailand to accept a ceasefire.
“No one is pressuring us. Who is pressuring whom? I don’t know,” he told reporters, declining to answer whether Washington was using the threat of tariff measures to push Bangkok to halt the conflict.
ASEAN Seeks Diplomatic Breakthrough
Thailand and Cambodia have long disputed sections of their shared border, but the scale and intensity of the current clashes are unprecedented in recent decades. Each side has accused the other of initiating the fighting.
Malaysia is set to host a special meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers next week as the regional bloc seeks to re-establish a ceasefire.
With information from Reuters.
