The Thai-Cambodian border has once again become a focal point! The Prime Minister of Cambodia has warned the Thai military: Do not enter the disputed area.

【Global Times Correspondent in Cambodia, Dong Kaiying】Following the announcement by the Thai Constitutional Court on July 1st that Phatthaman has suspended his duties as Prime Minister, the Thai-Cambodian border has once again become a focal point of attention. In response to Google Maps marking a controversial ancient temple on Thai territory as Cambodian land, the Thai military stated on July 2nd that the boundary marked by Google Maps does not have legal effect, and Thailand’s sovereignty claims over the area are consistently clear. According to a report by the National Newspaper on July 2nd, a spokesperson for the Royal Thai Army, Venthai Suvarit, mentioned that Google Maps relies on “inaccurate” data from private sources, and he called on Thai citizens to submit requests to Google Maps to correct this boundary labeling.
Following the conflict at the Thai-Cambodian border on May 28th, Cambodia declared its lawsuit against the International Court of Justice on June 15th, claiming sovereignty over three ancient temples and the “Emerald Triangle Area.” The Thai government responded by denying jurisdiction over the case, thus rendering the lawsuit legally invalid. As introduced by the website of Japan’s Diplomatic Studies magazine, the dispute over the Thai-Cambodian border dates back to the French colonial period in Cambodia. In 1904, the Cambodian government and Siam (Thailand) agreed to include Paksyenang Temple within Siamese territory. Three years later, when France completed its boundary demarcation map, it designated Paksyenang Temple as part of French Cambodia. The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that Cambodia had sovereignty over Paksyenang Temple, which was strongly opposed by Thailand. Following this, the two countries experienced long-term tensions, with multiple armed conflicts occurring between them from 2008 to 2011. The International Court reaffirmed its previous ruling in 2013, but left a disputed area of 4.6 square kilometers.
On July 1st, both Hung Seng and Hung Mahan expressed their views on the border situation. According to a report by Cambodia’s “Fresh News” website on July 1st, Cambodian Prime Minister Hung Mahan attended an event where he warned the Thai military against entering the disputed area and said that Cambodia is waiting for effective dialogue with a leader with “real authority” from Thailand. Additionally, according to Cambodia’s Khmer Times, Hung Mahan questioned the reliability of Thai decision-making on July 1st, pointing out that past documents regarding border checkpoints were signed by multiple people, leading to uncertainty. He added, “In Cambodia, we never have contradictory voices. The Senate President Hung Seng may have expressed opinions on political matters, but political decisions and official directives are the responsibility of the Prime Minister.” Furthermore, according to a report by “Fresh News” on July 1st, Hung Seng met with visiting Japanese Diet Member and Special Advisor to Prime Minister Changjia Shokuo in Phnom Penh. When discussing the Cambodian-Thai border issue, Hung Seng clearly stated that Cambodia is not seeking third-party mediation at present, but advocates for peaceful resolution of disputes through international law mechanisms such as the International Court of Justice.
Ngan Pheak, the head of a dragon fruit processing factory in Banteay Meanchey Province, told Global Times in a special interview on July 2nd that the Banteay Meanchey Port, one of the main border crossings between Cambodia and Thailand, is currently closed, with personnel and vehicles unable to pass normally, and there is no obvious military deployment on site. Kim Ping, the director of the Institute of International Relations at the Royal Academy of Sciences in Cambodia, predicted that in the short term, trade, tourism exchanges, and high-level communication between Cambodia and Thailand would still be hindered.