Cambodia has reaffirmed its opposition to Thailand’s unilateral claims over parts of their shared border, accusing Thai military forces of violating bilateral agreements by entering Cambodian territory. In a statement issued on June 27, Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation claimed that Thai troops had moved into areas near Border Marker No. 26 in Banteay Ampil district, Oddar Meanchey province. This prompted Cambodia to lodge a new diplomatic protest.
The ministry reported that since early June, Thai soldiers have been engaging in activities such as clearing forested land and installing barbed wire near the contentious border area. Cambodia argues that these actions aim to shift the boundary further into its territory and stated it does not accept the border line Thailand asserts. The Cambodian government insists the disputed area needs to remain subject to mutually agreed upon border demarcation processes instead of unilateral actions.
Phnom Penh contends that Thailand’s activities breach Article 5 of the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding on the Cambodia-Thailand land border. This agreement, along with commitments from the Third Extraordinary Meeting of the General Border Committee in December 2025, requires both nations to continue border demarcation through the Joint Boundary Commission. Cambodia has called on Thailand to cease what it describes as hostile activities, remove unilateral border installations, and engage in peaceful dialogue to resolve disputes.
Government spokesperson Pen Bona highlighted that Cambodia has submitted 42 diplomatic protests since July 2025 over what it perceives as recurrent Thai encroachments. He also mentioned that the government has sent nine diplomatic notes requesting Joint Boundary Commission meetings and the deployment of Joint Survey Teams to advance technical work on border demarcation. Cambodian officials emphasize these actions underscore the country’s commitment to resolving border disputes through established bilateral mechanisms.
Cambodia maintains that the border should be determined using the 1:200,000-scale maps created under the 1904 Franco-Siamese Convention and the 1907 Franco-Siamese Treaty. The government has criticized Thailand for using separate 1:50,000-scale maps, which Phnom Penh argues were produced unilaterally and lack recognition under existing agreements. As of the latest statement, Thai authorities had not publicly addressed Cambodia’s allegations.