Cambodia Denounces Thai Reports of Border Incursions, Warns Against Unilateral Action

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Sept.26, 2025) — Cambodia has lodged a formal protest over recent Thai military and media reports accusing Cambodian citizens of encroaching on Thai territory along the border between Pursat and Koh Kong provinces.

In a statement issued Thursday, the State Secretariat of Border Affairs expressed “deep concern” over claims made by the Royal Thai Navy, the Chanthaburi-Trat Border Defense Command, and The Nation Thailand, which alleged Cambodian nationals had crossed into 17 locations near Veal Veng District, opposite Thailand’s Mueang District in Trat Province.

Cambodia’s Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) submitted an official letter of protest to its Thai counterpart on Sept. 24, warning that the remarks signal a threat of unilateral border demarcation and violate the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries.

“The unilateral actions and inflammatory rhetoric risk escalating tensions along the border,” the statement read, citing breaches of the July 28 Ceasefire Agreement and outcomes from recent high-level border committee meetings.

The Cambodian government reiterated that only the JBC has legal authority to survey and demarcate the border, and urged Thailand to resolve the issue through diplomatic channels. The next JBC meeting is expected to convene soon.