Tensions rise: Thai-Cambodian border dispute intensifies
Military leaders remain alert as border tensions threaten full-blown conflict
Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia are reaching new heights, with the border dispute now a hot topic among the top military brass.
Military leaders, including General Songwit Noonpakdee (Chief of Defence Forces) and General Phana Klaewplodthuk (Army Chief), remain on high alert despite believing the conflict is driven by motives other than actual combat. Both countries have deployed fully armed troops along the border, and while the situation remains volatile, a single misstep could ignite a full-blown conflict.
The deteriorating situation comes at a politically sensitive time, coinciding with significant events in Thailand’s domestic and regional calendar. On June 12, the Medical Council of Thailand will decide whether to uphold its decision to penalise three doctors involved in the treatment of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, or support Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin’s appeal to overturn the ruling.
The following day, the Supreme Court will hold a hearing on the Thaksin hospital case, and on June 14, a delayed Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meeting between Thailand and Cambodia will finally take place, after being pushed back from June 9. Diplomatic efforts have already taken a hit, with Cambodia rejecting negotiations over the disputed land crossing point, a key issue in the JBC talks.
Meanwhile, Thailand’s Ministry of Interior has issued a directive to provincial governors along the Cambodian border, signalling the possibility of evacuation plans. The directive instructs local leaders to prepare for evacuation, designate safe zones, and ready response teams in case the situation escalates. Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has called an urgent National Security Council meeting today, June 6, to discuss countermeasures.
On Wednesday, June 4, Phumtham visited Suranaree Task Force in Ubon Ratchathani and later visited Observation Base 500 at the Emerald Triangle, where he saw evidence of Cambodian military encroachment into Thai territory. Major General Sompop Pharawet, commander of the Suranaree Task Force, showed proof of Cambodian forces moving about 200 metres into Thai land, marking a troubling development that recalls a 2011 operation in the same area, which saw casualties on both sides.
The tensions have now even spread to Ko Kut Island in Trat province, with former Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy suggesting the dispute be brought to the International Court of Justice. The Royal Thai Navy has been monitoring the Ream Naval Base in Cambodia, where a live-fire naval drill is set to take place June 11–13. Analysts view this exercise as a show of force from Cambodia, which has prompted Thailand’s Navy to consider establishing Ko Kut as a special task force zone, reported The Nation.
Though the situation remains tense, Thailand’s military superiority on both land and sea suggests that any aggressive action from Cambodia is unlikely to succeed. However, with two significant disputes—land at Chong Bok and maritime rights near Ko Kut—unfolding in parallel with Thailand’s critical political events, the coming days could prove pivotal in shaping the region’s future.
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