Cambodia has firmly rejected Thailand’s assertions of territorial claims along parts of their shared border, accusing Thai forces of breaching bilateral agreements by operating within Cambodian land. In a statement dated June 27, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia alleged that Thai military units have been active near Border Marker No. 26 in the Banteay Ampil district of Oddar Meanchey province. This has reignited diplomatic tensions between the neighboring nations.
The Cambodian government reports that since early June, Thai forces have been engaged in clearing forested areas and erecting barbed wire in the region. Phnom Penh asserts that these activities aim to shift the boundary line in favor of Thailand’s territorial claims. The Cambodian ministry emphasized that they do not recognize the border line proposed by Thailand and reiterated that the disputed area should remain under the jurisdiction of jointly agreed border demarcation processes.
Cambodia argues that Thailand’s actions breach Article 5 of the Memorandum of Understanding from 2000, which governs land border surveys and demarcation. Furthermore, they claim it contravenes the commitments made at the Third Extraordinary Meeting of the General Border Committee in December 2025. These agreements stress the role of the Joint Boundary Commission in resolving border disputes through established bilateral mechanisms. Cambodian authorities have called on Thailand to stop what they describe as unilateral actions and adhere to previously agreed-upon procedures for peacefully resolving disputes.
According to government spokesperson Pen Bona, Cambodia has lodged 42 diplomatic protests since July 2025 over alleged border encroachments. Additionally, Phnom Penh has issued nine diplomatic notes requesting meetings of the Joint Boundary Commission and the dispatch of Joint Survey Teams to continue technical work on the ground. Cambodian officials maintain that these steps are crucial for reducing tensions and advancing the formal demarcation process through dialogue rather than unilateral measures.
Cambodia insists that the border demarcation should follow the 1:200,000-scale maps developed under the 1904 Franco-Siamese Convention and the 1907 Franco-Siamese Treaty. In contrast, Thailand is accused of using different 1:50,000-scale maps, which Cambodia argues were created unilaterally and do not align with mutually recognized agreements. As of now, there has been no public response from Thai authorities to Cambodia’s latest statement, leaving the border dispute unresolved.