AOT has stepped up border activity, conducting observation and verification missions in Oddar Meanchey, Preah Vihear, and Banteay Meanchey. (Agence Kampuchea Press)
Through a letter, the Commander-in-Chief of RCAF, General Vong Pisen, alleged that on June 26, close to the Khnar Temple, Thai officers of the AOT team entered Cambodian sovereign territory without prior notice. Furthermore, the Cambodian party also expressed its objection due to the unauthorised tree planting in the vicinity of the temple.
The letter also stated that despite warnings and objections, the AOT Thailand remained in the territory and conducted its business.
The RCAF stated that these actions clearly manifested the violation of the agreed terms of the multinational monitoring mission, eroding the ASEAN observer groups’ principles of neutrality, an action it described as “inconsistent with the principles of neutrality, confidence-building and mutual respect that underpin the establishment of the AOT.”
Subsequently, on July 3, the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released an official diplomatic protest over the “continued border encroachment” by the Royal Thai Army., following the discovery a day earlier of barbed razor wire set up by Thai forces in multiple spots, including the Mom Bei area of Preah Vihear province, as well as the area of Trapeang Prasat district in Oddar Meanchey province.
Phnom Penh views these actions as a clear breach of its sovereignty, violating the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on land boundaries, and a bilateral framework to de-escalate tension that was agreed at the December 2025 General Border Committee meeting.
Conversely, Bangkok reiterated its stance that the barbed wires were necessary to prevent any illegal crossings and activities, and assured that the structure was inside Thailand’s sovereign territory.
These new activities and protests from both sides reflect a continuous saga of the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute and underscore how fragile the ceasefire agreement truly was. In spite of multiple efforts to ease tensions, both sides still insist on their respective national interests.
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