Cambodia retaliates against Thailand by reducing Thai nationals’ stay to 7 Days
Cambodia cuts Thai nationals’ stay to 7 days in tit-for-tat move after Thailand imposes same limit on Cambodians and shortens border checkpoint hours.
The Cambodian Immigration Department has shortened the permitted stay for Thai nationals in Cambodia from 60 days to 7 days, in retaliation for a similar measure introduced by Thailand on Sunday, Khmer Times reported.
On Monday, Khmer Times quoted Police Lieutenant General Veasna Sok, Director-General of the Cambodian Immigration Department, as saying that Thailand had issued an order on Sunday to reduce Cambodian nationals’ stay in Thailand from 60 days to 7 days. This prompted Cambodians to leave the country and re-enter in order to obtain new visa stamps.
Veasna stated that the Cambodian leadership had instructed the immigration department to respond in kind by reducing the permitted stay for Thai nationals to 7 days and requiring them to leave the country for new visas as well.
Earlier, Cambodia had also retaliated against Thailand’s decision to adjust the operating hours at five border checkpoints shared with Cambodia.
The Thai Army changed the operating hours from 6am–10pm to 8am–4pm, starting on Saturday evening. In response, Cambodia adjusted its own border hours, opening from 9am to 4pm. This caused confusion on Sunday morning when over 2,000 people were left waiting to cross into Cambodia at the Thai–Cambodian Friendship Bridge checkpoint in Sa Kaeo’s Aranyaprathet district.
