All vehicles and travellers will be prohibited from crossing border into Cambodia as relations deteriorate after shooting of Cambodian soldier
Thailand’s military has closed border crossings into Cambodia to almost all travellers, including tourists and traders, as tensions escalate over a longstanding territorial dispute between the two neighbours.
All vehicles and travellers, both Thai and foreigners, will be prohibited from crossing borders into Cambodia across seven provinces, according to statements by Thailand’s army and navy.
Tensions between Cambodia and Thailand have soared since May when troops briefly exchanged fire at a contested area of the border, killing a Cambodian soldier. The incident has led to tit-for-tat actions by both governments, and rising nationalism either side of the border.
Thailand’s prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who is facing a political crisis over the handling of the dispute, said on Monday that screening at land borders would be increased, and exemptions would be made only in some cases such as patients requiring medical treatment, or students travelling for education.
