Thailand bans tourists from traveling to Cambodia, border disputes still exist
Thailand imposed restrictions on all travelers to Cambodia as the two countries remained in a tough border dispute.
The ban applies to any vehicle or person trying to cross Cambodia from checkpoints in several Thai provinces, as well as foreign tourists flying to Sim Harvest.
The military said in a statement on Monday that the new restrictions “consistent with the current security situation.”
Bilateral relations between the two countries were at their worst for more than a decade after armed conflict along the border in May killed a Cambodian soldier.
Since then, the two countries have filmed punitive measures with each other. Cambodia has banned imports from Thailand, from fruits and vegetables to electricity and the Internet, as well as Thai dramas and movies.
Thai authorities say exemptions to the latest travel ban can be approved on humanitarian reasons, such as students or medical patients.
According to the military, the restrictions will also help fight against illegal scam operations in Cambodia.
On Monday, Thai Prime Minister Paetontarn Shinawatra vowed to combat Cambodia’s scams and took measures, including suspending Internet services used by Cambodia’s security agencies.
Foreign tourists will also be banned from flying from Thailand to the popular Cambodian resort Siem Reap, she added.
Thailand has previously taken similar measures against neighboring Myanmar, home to a prosperous scam network that has been trapped in thousands of foreigners.
The dispute between Thailand and Cambodia put Paetontarn Shinawatra’s government in pain of a political crisis as she and Cambodia’s former strongman, Hun Sen, leaked phone calls.
On the phone, Paetongtarn was heard calling him “uncle” and told him to ignore the Thai military commander that he “just wanted to look cool”.
Paetongtarn defended her behavior as “negotiation skills”, but critics say she undermined Thailand’s politically influential military. After that, her main alliance partner of Pheu Thai political party left the alliance.
Tensions between the two countries date back more than a century, when the border was after the French occupation of Cambodia.
