Aranyaprathet border checkpoint crowded on Monday morning
Aranyaprathet border checkpoint sees early-morning crowd as Thailand and Cambodia shorten and mismatch crossing hours amid rising border tension.
The Ban Klong Luek border checkpoint in Sa Kaeo’s Aranyaprathet district was crowded with both Thai and Cambodian nationals waiting to cross into Cambodia early Monday morning, following a change in operating hours.
The Burapha Taskforce altered the operating hours of Ban Klong Luek and four other checkpoints in Sa Kaeo from 6am–10pm to 8am–4pm, effective from Saturday evening, in response to rising border tensions with Cambodia.
On Monday, many people from both countries arrived at the checkpoint as early as 5am in the hope of securing the first positions in the immigration queue.
Following Thailand’s change in checkpoint hours, Cambodia retaliated by delaying its own opening time by one hour—to 9am.
The one-hour gap between the Thai and Cambodian checkpoint openings led to long queues on both sides, with lines stretching out onto the surrounding roads.
Despite the congestion, many Cambodian tourists continued to cross into Thailand after the gate opened on Monday morning.
Immigration officials advised Thai nationals planning to cross into Cambodia to check the updated operating hours in advance and arrive early to allow sufficient time for immigration procedures.
