Thailand gives Cambodia two-month deadline to vacate Ban Nong Chan

Major General Wanchana Sawasdee, Director of the Mission Coordination Office for National Security under the Directorate of Operations at the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters, has announced that if Cambodia does not evacuate its citizens from Ban Nong Chan in Sa Kaeo province within two months, Thai forces will be authorised to remove them immediately.

The announcement follows reports of Cambodian settlers dismantling Thai barbed-wire fencing along the border. General Songwit Noonpakdee, Chief of Defence Forces, instructed senior military officers, including Maj Gen Wanchana, to inspect the Thai-Cambodian border at Ban Non Mak Mun, Ban Nong Ya Kaew, and Ban Nong Chan in Khok Sung district, Sa Kaeo, on August 26.

The Burapha Task Force highlighted that the areas in question lie within Thai territory, yet Cambodians have constructed 18 homes in Ban Nong Ya Kaew, clearly encroaching on Thai land.

The inspection team also visited checkpoint S.40 at Ban Nong Chan to survey key border terrain. During five days of prior military operations, Thai forces had pushed back intruders into Cambodian territory, recorded land coordinates, and re-established barbed-wire barriers.

Ban Nong Chan is officially Thai sovereign territory. Historically, it served as temporary shelter for Cambodians fleeing past conflicts. However, after the cessation of hostilities, Cambodian settlers expanded their community, constituting a breach of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 43.

The two-month deadline declared by Maj Gen Wanchana aligns with the upcoming Thailand-Cambodia General Border Committee (GBC) meeting scheduled for September 2025. This round of meetings will see Thailand set the date and venue to review progress on 13 ceasefire agreements signed on August 7, following regional Thailand-Cambodia Border Committee (RBC) discussions across three areas, which resulted in 11 conclusions:

1. Both sides acknowledge the applicability of previous GBC meetings and accept all points.

2. Both sides are urged to increase regular communication.

3. Both sides must strictly avoid issuing false statements on social media or online platforms.

4. Neither side should escalate disputes through actions, including military provocation or the involvement of civilians.

5. Any operations concerning military sites must ensure protection and safety.

6. Both sides should emphasise positive engagement and relationship-building, from lower-ranking soldiers to senior officials.

7. Both sides commit to joint humanitarian landmine clearance under the Ottawa Convention; Cambodia suggested raising this issue at the next GBC meeting.

8. Both sides agreed to establish additional coordination teams.

9. Both sides confirmed cooperation to combat cross-border crime, including call-centre scams, online fraud, drugs, human trafficking, arms smuggling, and other illegal cross-border activities; Cambodia requested this issue be tabled at the GBC.

10. Both sides reaffirm the importance of responding promptly to protests related to disputes; Thailand proposed a timeline, while Cambodia suggested deferring to the GBC.

11. Both sides agreed to hold RBC meetings at scheduled times to maintain good relations.

While Cambodia accepted some RBC conclusions in principle, it requested further discussion at the GBC on issues such as landmine clearance, scam prevention, and border management in Sa Kaeo, as it lacks decision-making authority at the regional level.

It is expected that the September GBC meeting will forward these three key issues to the Thailand-Cambodia Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), chaired by the foreign ministers, with a mid-September session anticipated.

If Cambodia continues to resist and refuses to evacuate settlers from Non Mak Mun, Nong Ya Kaew, and Ban Nong Chan, Thailand reserves the right to enforce the removal of intruders from its sovereign territory.

Gen Songwit has briefed the Indo-Pacific regional commanders on the border situation, highlighting Cambodia’s encroachment on Thai sovereignty. He confirmed that the Thai Army is considering reinforcing barbed-wire fencing along the border to prevent further intrusion, with full support from army headquarters.

Ban Nong Chan, within the 46-47 boundary marks under Burapha Task Force and operationally linked to the 1st Army Area, remains a historically sensitive and strategically important zone. Originally established as a refugee shelter for Cambodians, it has gradually become occupied and cultivated by Cambodian settlers, creating an ongoing sovereignty dispute.