Thailand has repeatedly lodged protests but received no response, as a Cambodian casino at Thmor Da and military housing encroach on Thai territory, blocking the opening of a permanent border crossing.
Following reports in the media regarding Cambodian incursions into Thai sovereign territory in Trat province, the Chanthaburi and Trat Border Defence Command (CTBDC) has expressed its appreciation to the press for bringing the issue to public attention.
The command also issued a clarification on the situation.
According to the CTBDC, the areas in question fall within Thailand’s claimed territory under a 1:50,000 scale map. The encroachments were identified at three specific points:
- A Cambodian Border Police Company 825 building, which extended about 15 metres into Thai-claimed land.
- A trench line in a rubber plantation, with approximately 125 metres of the plantation area extending into Thailand’s claimed territory.
- A trench line of Cambodia’s Reconnaissance Company 1, Battalion 501, which intruded around 30 metres into Thai-claimed territory.
The CTBDC stated that in all three cases, Cambodian personnel have been pushed back and no opposing forces remain in the disputed areas. The command added that measures are being taken in line with existing bilateral agreements, and it will continue to closely monitor the situation to ensure compliance.
The CTBDC has issued a clarification to prevent public misunderstanding, stressing its firm commitment to defend Thailand’s sovereignty to the fullest extent, as it has consistently done in the past, and to ensure that not even a single inch of national territory is encroached upon.
Capt Phuris Wongphensri, commander of the Trat Marine Task Force, confirmed that the three encroachment points in Chamrak subdistrict, Mueang district, Trat province, are real. He explained that while these encroachments have existed for decades, they are less extensive than those at Ban Nong Chan in Sa Kaeo province.
He noted that the Thai military has consistently filed protests demanding that Cambodian forces withdraw, but these appeals have not received an adequate response.
He added that after the issue was highlighted in the news, a fresh inspection confirmed the long-standing nature of the encroachments, and the Thai military has since pushed back the intrusions. “Thai forces continue to safeguard the sovereignty of Thailand and prevent any further encroachment. We are fully prepared to use force if necessary, but we remain concerned about the potential impact on local residents in Trat should clashes occur,” he stated.
Trat province shares a long border with Cambodia. In Mueang district, four subdistricts,Tha Kum, Takang, Chamrak, and Laem Klat, border Veal Veng district of Pursat province.
In Khlong Yai district, three subdistricts, Mai Rut, Khlong Yai, and Hat Lek, border Koh Kong province.
Along this stretch, Cambodia has encroached on 17 points under the framework of the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU 43).
Over the past three to four years, parliamentary committees, including the House of Representatives and Senate Committees on Foreign Affairs, the House Committee on Military Affairs, as well as the National Security Council (NSC), have conducted regular visits to monitor the situation along the Thai-Cambodian border.
During these visits, the Trat Marine Task Force and the 3rd Marine Ranger Control Unit provided briefings and explanations regarding the recurring problems after a proposal to open a permanent border crossing between Ban Thasen in Thailand and Thmor Da in Veal Veng district, Pursat province.
The NSC opposed the plan after Cambodia constructed a second casino building and military barracks encroaching into Thai territory, which it has refused to dismantle.
Although business groups in Trat had offered three million baht to fund the demolition of the structures, the Cambodian government rejected the proposal.
As a result, the NSC declined to approve the border crossing, despite efforts by the Trat private sector and local politicians, who had already invested more than 50 million baht in a four-lane road to connect with Cambodia’s road network.
According to the CTBDC, Cambodian encroachment under the framework of the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU 43) involves 17 points in total, comprising:
