Thai navy warns of escalation if Cambodia ignores RBC border agreement

Rear Admiral Parach Rattanachiayaphan, Deputy Spokesman of the Royal Thai Navy, has revealed that Cambodian forces have encroached on Thai territory by establishing operational bases, building homes, and conducting agricultural activities in Ban Chamrak, Chamrak Subdistrict, Mueang District, Trat Province.

These incursions affect three separate points along the Thailand-Cambodia border, he said on Tuesday. Despite Cambodia’s awareness that the areas fall under Thai sovereignty, they have occupied them for several years. Thai authorities have repeatedly notified Cambodia, but no remedial action or demolition has taken place, Parach added.

According to the Chanthaburi and Trat Border Defence Command (CTBDC), based on 1:50,000 scale territorial claims, the encroachments are as follows:

• Point 1: Cambodia’s 825th Border Patrol Unit has buildings extending approximately 15 metres into Thai-claimed territory.
• Point 2: A trench within a rubber plantation overlaps roughly 125 metres of Thai-claimed land.
• Point 3: Cambodia’s Border Defence Company 1 of Battalion 501 has a trench encroaching around 30 metres into Thai territory.

Parach said the areas in question fall under Thai claims according to MOU43. Upon discovering the constructions, the CTBDC has repeatedly submitted formal protests urging Cambodian forces to withdraw from these un-demarcated areas.

Most recently, the issue was raised again at an extraordinary session of the Thailand-Cambodia Regional Border Committee (RBC) with the Third Military Region. Thai forces have successfully pushed Cambodian personnel out of the encroached areas. However, Cambodia has yet to dismantle the structures or fill in the trenches. Local Thai forces continue to monitor the situation and are prepared to escalate measures if cooperation is not forthcoming, Parach said.