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Thai and Cambodian Leaders Visit Disputed Border in Heightened Standoff

The trips follow heightened military deployments accompanied by economic measures threatening to topple Thailand’s fragile ruling coalition.

FILE - Cambodian President of the Senate Hun Sen smiles as he arrives at Victory Day to mark the 46th ouster anniversary of the Khmer Rouge regime that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, , Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith, File)
Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra looks during a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand, June 23, 2025. Government House of Thailand Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
Thailand has all but closed several land crossings points over a territorial dispute with Cambodia
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Overview

  • Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra inspected the Aranyaprathet border crossing today while former Cambodian premier Hun Sen toured troops in Oddar Meanchey province.
  • Both sides have massed troops along their 817-kilometer frontier, with Cambodia suspending fuel exports and Thailand sealing multiple land crossings.
  • Economic sanctions have slashed cross-border trade, dampened casino foot traffic and forced many border businesses to shut early with revenue losses up to 75%.
  • The escalating dispute has fragmented Thailand’s ruling coalition, prompted a parliamentary no-confidence motion against the prime minister and triggered judicial and anti-graft investigations.
  • The clashes trace back to a century-old claim around Preah Vihear Temple following a 2015 ICJ ruling in Cambodia’s favor and a failed bid to resolve the Chong Bok land dispute.