Cambodia has reaffirmed its rejection of Thailand’s unilateral claims over parts of their shared border, accusing Thai forces of breaching existing bilateral agreements and conducting activities on Cambodian land. In a statement dated June 27, Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation accused Thai troops of entering areas near Border Marker No. 26 in the Banteay Ampil district of Oddar Meanchey province. This incursion prompted Phnom Penh to issue a new diplomatic protest.
The ministry claims that since early June, Thai soldiers have been clearing forests and installing barbed wire near the contested border region. Cambodia alleges these actions aim to shift the boundary further into its territory, refusing to recognize the border line asserted by Thailand. The government insists that the area in question should remain subject to mutually agreed upon border demarcation processes rather than unilateral actions.
Phnom Penh contends that Thailand’s actions violate Article 5 of the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding on the Cambodia-Thailand land border and go against commitments made during the Third Extraordinary Meeting of the General Border Committee in December 2025. These agreements require ongoing border demarcation efforts through the Joint Boundary Commission. Cambodia has called on Thailand to cease what it labels as hostile actions, remove unilateral border installations, and seek resolution through peaceful dialogue.
Government spokesperson Pen Bona noted that Cambodia has filed 42 diplomatic protests since July 2025 concerning what it perceives as repeated Thai encroachments. He also mentioned that Cambodia has sent nine diplomatic notes requesting meetings of the Joint Boundary Commission and the deployment of Joint Survey Teams to advance technical work on border demarcation. Cambodian officials assert these actions reflect the country’s preference for resolving disputes via established bilateral mechanisms.
Cambodia maintains that the border should be determined using 1:200,000-scale maps created under the 1904 Franco-Siamese Convention and the 1907 Franco-Siamese Treaty. The government criticizes Thailand for relying on separate 1:50,000-scale maps, which Phnom Penh claims were produced unilaterally and lack recognition under existing agreements. As of the latest statement, Thai authorities had not publicly responded to Cambodia’s allegations.
