Special centre accuses Cambodia of stirring border tension to undermine Thai government

A special operations centre established to monitor Thai-Cambodian border developments has accused Cambodia of deliberately engineering tensions to destabilise Thai politics and erode public confidence in the Thai government.

The accusation was made on Monday by Rear Admiral Surasan Kongsiri, spokesperson for the Special Operations Centre for Thai-Cambodian Border Situations Management (SOC-TCBSM), during a press briefing following the centre’s daily meeting.

“Deliberate plan to shake Thai public trust,” says official

“The other side devised a complex plan with subtle objectives,” Surasan said. “It began by stirring tension at the border, then expanded the situation to influence Thai domestic politics, aiming to divide Thai society and diminish trust in the government.”

Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia escalated following a shootout near the Chong Bok pass in Ubon Ratchathani province on 28 May. The incident sparked a series of retaliatory measures from both sides.

Thailand denies border closure allegations

Surasan dismissed Cambodian claims that Thailand had closed border crossings, clarifying that Thai authorities had merely stepped up security checks for safety reasons.

“In contrast, Cambodia overreacted by shutting down their own border gates,” he said.

He cited several examples:

• Chong Sangam crossing, Si Sa Ket: Thailand kept the gate open from 7am to 10pm, while Cambodia closed its side completely.
• Chom Jom crossing, Surin: Thai officials allowed crossing from 6am to 10pm, but Cambodia again closed its gate.
• Ban Laem crossing, Chanthaburi: Thailand permitted crossings from 8am to 4pm, but Cambodia shut its gate in response.

“Thai border gates remain open to minimise the impact on the daily lives of local people,” Surasan stressed.

Cambodia blocked trade before Thai coordination, centre says

Surasan added that Cambodia appeared to be acting with premeditation. Before the Thai side had even initiated formal coordination to resume the transport of goods, Cambodia had already sent a letter stating it would not allow Thai trucks to pass.

“We hadn’t even begun coordination, yet they pre-emptively denied access,” he said, calling it further evidence of a suspicious agenda.

Foreign Ministry: Checkpoints open, nearly 10,000 cross daily

Speaking at the same briefing, Maratee Nalita Andamo, deputy director-general of the Foreign Ministry’s Department of Information, reiterated that Thailand had not closed any border checkpoints, but had merely strengthened security screening measures.

Since security was tightened on 7 June, she said, nearly 10,000 people have continued to cross the Thai-Cambodian border each day.

Joint crackdown on transnational crime urged

Maratee said the centre also discussed measures to suppress transborder crime along the Thai-Cambodian frontier. She noted that the Thai government is urging Cambodia to cooperate in cracking down on online scam networks, which have become a growing threat in the region.

“Our goal is to reduce financial losses and improve safety for the people of both countries,” she said.