Cambodia has expressed renewed opposition to Thailand’s unilateral claims along portions of their shared border, accusing the Thai military of violating prior bilateral agreements and conducting activities within Cambodian territory. On June 27, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Cambodia issued a statement alleging that Thai troops had entered areas near Border Marker No. 26 in the Banteay Ampil district of Oddar Meanchey province. This incursion prompted Cambodia to lodge a fresh diplomatic protest.
According to the Cambodian ministry, Thai soldiers have been clearing forested areas and erecting barbed wire near the disputed section of the border since early June. Cambodia contends these actions are intended to shift the border further into its territory and stated that it does not accept the border line claimed by Thailand. The Cambodian government insists that the disputed area should remain subject to mutually agreed-upon border demarcation procedures rather than unilateral actions.
Phnom Penh has argued that Thailand’s activities breach Article 5 of the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding regarding the Cambodia-Thailand land border and violate commitments made during the Third Extraordinary Meeting of the General Border Committee in December 2025. Both agreements demand that the countries continue border demarcation through the Joint Boundary Commission. Cambodia has called on Thailand to cease what it describes as hostile actions, dismantle unilateral border installations, and resolve differences through peaceful dialogue.
Government spokesperson Pen Bona revealed that Cambodia has filed 42 diplomatic protests since July 2025 over what it perceives as repeated Thai encroachments. Furthermore, the Cambodian government has sent nine diplomatic notes requesting meetings of the Joint Boundary Commission and the deployment of Joint Survey Teams to continue technical work on border demarcation. Cambodian officials assert that these efforts underscore the country’s preference for resolving disputes using 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 Cambodian government has criticized Thailand for relying on separate 1:50,000-scale maps, which Phnom Penh claims were produced unilaterally and are not acknowledged under existing agreements. As of the latest updates, Thai authorities have not publicly addressed the allegations made by Cambodia.