Thai army rejects Cambodia claim over O’Smach district, cites GBC pact
Thai army spokesman Maj Gen Winthai says the O’Smach district (Oddar Meanchey province) area is Thai-controlled under the GBC Joint Statement, cites anti-scam cooperation, and denies attachés entered the site.
- The Thai army has rejected Cambodia's claims over the O’Smach district, insisting its control of the area complies with the bilateral General Border Committee (GBC) Joint Statement.
- Thailand cites a GBC clause allowing both sides to maintain existing troop deployments, arguing its presence and operations do not violate the agreement.
- As part of its operations, Thai forces inspected buildings and found evidence of transnational scam centers, an action it says is consistent with the GBC pact's provisions against transnational crime.
- The army also denied that foreign defence attachés had entered the disputed O'Smach area, clarifying they only visited the Thai province of Surin for routine observation.
The Royal Thai Army has pushed back against Cambodia’s allegations over the O’Smach district area in Oddar Meanchey province, insisting Thailand’s actions complied with a bilateral border understanding and did not violate any agreement.
Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree, the army spokesman, said the location cited by Cambodia is an area controlled and manned by the Thai side following the end of clashes on December 27, 2025, and that Thailand has adhered strictly to the Joint Statement issued after the special session of the Thailand–Cambodia General Border Committee (GBC).
Thai army: Area under Thai control under GBC Joint Statement
Winthai cited Clause 2 of the Joint Statement, saying both sides agreed to maintain existing deployments in the area, with no additional troop movements and no movement — including patrols — directly towards the opposing side’s positions.
On that basis, he said Thailand’s control and operations in the area do not breach any international agreement.
Scam-centre checks: Thailand cites security inspections and evidence
Addressing reports that buildings in the area were being used as scam centres, Winthai said Thai forces carried out detailed inspections after taking control because the surrounding area had previously been used for operations that threatened Thai personnel.
He said the inspections uncovered evidence linked to transnational online fraud (cyber scams), including casino buildings believed to be operating as scam centres.
Cooperation offer: Thailand says it is ready to share coordinates
Winthai said Thailand’s coordination with relevant agencies to verify evidence further was consistent with Clause 10 of the Joint Statement, which covers cooperation against transnational crime, including cybercrime and human trafficking.
He added that Thai police had previously sought Cambodia’s cooperation to jointly inspect target areas and expand investigations, but Cambodia had ignored or not responded. If Cambodia wants to proceed under the Joint Statement, he said, Thailand is ready to share information and coordinates on scam-centre networks in areas under Cambodian control.
Defence attachés: Thailand confirms Surin visit, denies O’Smach entry
On claims involving foreign defence attachés, Winthai said the attachés did travel to Chong Chom in Surin province for routine border-security observation, but did not enter O’Smach district or certain Thai-controlled areas as alleged.
Warning on misinformation: avoid renewed tensions
The army reaffirmed it is complying with the Joint Statement and urged Cambodia to verify information before making public claims, warning that inaccurate reporting could violate Clause 8 and needlessly raise tensions as the situation moves towards normalcy.
