Thailand has closed its entire border with Cambodia and told citizens there to leave, while Cambodia has downgraded diplomatic ties with Bangkok
Thailand has closed its entire border with Cambodia
amid an escalating dispute, as both countries traded attacks earlier this
morning.
The restrictions apply to any
vehicle or person trying to enter Cambodia from checkpoints across several Thai
provinces, as well as foreign tourists flying into the country.
Relations between the two
Southeast Asian countries have deteriorated following an armed confrontation on
28 May in which one Cambodian soldier was killed in a relatively small,
contested territory.
Thailand claims Cambodia fired
rockets and heavy artillery over the border this morning, 24 July, killing at
least 12 Thai nationals. Thailand later retaliated with airstrikes on military
targets. Both sides accused the other of firing the first shots.
Tourists in Thailand banned from crossing border into Cambodia
Prime Minister Paetongtarn
Shinawatra said in May that Thailand would boost screening at land borders and
block departing tourists.
Only students, medical
patients and others who needed to purchase essential goods would be allowed to
enter or leave Thailand for Cambodia, meaning thousands of travellers
have had to rethink plans.
She said the measures were
aimed at stopping people heading toward Cambodia’s “lucrative casinos”, but it appeared that all tourists would be blocked
from crossing the border.
The Thai army later said in a
statement later that it had implemented the measures at every land border
checkpoint between Thailand and Cambodia in five provinces and that it was
stopping all crossings except for people with essential needs.
Paetongtarn added that foreign
tourists would also be banned from taking flights from Thailand to the popular
Cambodian resort town of Siem Reap, the closest airport to the famed Angkor Wat temple complex.
Flights continue
as scheduled, for now
The State Secretariat of Civil
Aviation of Cambodia has said that flights between Cambodia and Thailand
continue to operate normally for the time being.
According to Thai Airways, its
flights from Bangkok to Phnom Penh will continue as scheduled, with
approximately 3,000 passengers holding advance bookings. Chai Eamsiri, the CEO
of Thai Airways, said in a press conference on Thursday that the airline has
been "closely tracking the situation" following the clashes.
"We are in close contact
with the Embassy in Cambodia and are prepared to move our staff if events
become more severe," he said.
Tags: Paetongtarn Shinawatra Thailand Cambodia
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