Thailand, Cambodia to return to military positions after border clash

In a little firefight astatine the extremity of May, a Cambodian worker was killed on the countries’ shared border.

Thai and Cambodian forces volition instrumentality to their antecedently agreed-upon positions connected the border, some sides person announced, aft the 2 governments reinforced their subject beingness pursuing an eruption of unit that killed a Cambodian soldier.

Thai Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said connected Sunday that some sides hoped the thorny border issue could beryllium afloat resolved done a gathering connected Saturday of the Joint Boundary Committee, which was acceptable up to facilitate bilateral negotiations.

But Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn reiterated that his authorities had called connected the International Court of Justice to resoluteness the borderline dispute.

“Given the complexity, humanities quality and sensitivity of these disputes, it is progressively evident that bilateral dialog unsocial whitethorn nary longer suffice to bring astir a broad and lasting solution,” Sokhonn said.

However, Thailand has said it does not recognise the court’s jurisdiction and proposes to settee the substance done bilateral negotiations.

The 2 countries have, for much than a century, contested sovereignty implicit undemarcated points on their shared borderline erstwhile France mapped retired Cambodia successful 1907 erstwhile it was a French colony.

Since 2008, erstwhile warring archetypal broke retired implicit an 11th-century Hindu temple, bouts of unit person sporadically occurred, resulting successful the deaths of astatine slightest 28 people.

In the astir caller outbreak connected May 28, a Cambodian worker was killed successful the disputed borderline portion betwixt Cambodia’s Preah Vihear province and Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani province.

While the Thai and Cambodian militaries agreed to quell tensions, Cambodia said it could support its troops successful the country contempt Thailand urging it to leave.

On Saturday, the Thai service took power of the “opening and closing” of each borderline crossings it shares with Cambodia, referring to a “threat to Thailand’s sovereignty and security”.

Cambodian soldiers thrust connected a self-propelled aggregate rocket launcher successful Phnom Penh, Cambodia, connected May 28, 2025 [Kith Serey/EPA]

According to authorities data, Thailand operates 17 authoritative borderline crossings on the shared 817km (508-mile) frontier.

Earlier connected Sunday, the service shortened operating hours astatine 10 borderline crossings.