Thailand works to bring home thousands stranded at Cambodia border crossing amid brutal fighting
BANGKOK, Dec 16 — Thailand is mapping out how to bring home up to 6,000 citizens who are stranded because the main border checkpoint in Cambodia has shut down after fighting along the disputed frontier extended into a second week, officials announced on Tuesday.
Both the Thai and Cambodian militaries are engaged in skirmishes at numerous points along their 817‑kilometre (508‑mile) shared land boundary, officials said, with no indication that the conflict is easing despite repeated diplomatic overtures for a ceasefire.
The closure of the Poipet crossing in Cambodia has trapped thousands of Thai workers in the area. The clash has displaced more than half a million people and resulted in almost 40 casualties on each side since it erupted last Monday.
Hun Sen, Cambodia’s former premier, said the shutdown was intended to shield civilians from what he described as indiscriminate gunfire by Thai forces. He added that checkpoints remained open in calm zones and that flights continued to operate without restriction.
In Bangkok, the foreign ministry said Thai nationals still in Poipet could reach out to the consulate in Siem Reap – the gateway to Angkor Wat – to arrange air travel back home. It also urged those still in Cambodia to contact officials if they needed to leave.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called for an end to the hostilities and previously brokered a five‑day ceasefire in July by leveraging trade talks. According to Surasant Kongsiri, spokesman for Thailand’s defence ministry, fighting continues across the border line, and the situation remains fluid, with skirmishes reported in eight provincial sectors.
The Thai defence ministry’s statement noted that Cambodia’s forces pledged to “continue to stand strong, brave and steadfast in their fight against the aggressor.” Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters that no external pressure was pushing for a ceasefire; he declined to answer whether Trump’s tariff threat was meant to compel Thailand to halt the conflict.
Thailand is also preparing to curtail the flow of fuel into Cambodia. Surasant said the government would direct maritime authorities to monitor Thai‑registered vessels that might be transporting gasoline – or even weapons – to bolster Cambodia’s military, a matter he described as a “primary concern” for the Thai public.
The two countries have long contested stretches of their frontier. The current fighting, which ranges from remote jungle areas near the Laos border to coastal provinces, represents an unprecedented scale and intensity in recent memory. Each side blames the other for igniting the violence.
Malaysia is set to host a special meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers next week as the bloc seeks to restore a ceasefire.
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