Image from The Nation Thailand/Asia News Network
BANGKOK (AFP): Thailand temporarily closed its biggest border crossing with Cambodia to local tourists on Saturday after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a recent military clash between the two uneasy neighbours.
There has been sporadic violence on the Thai-Cambodia frontier since fighting first broke out in 2008, resulting in at least 28 deaths.
A Cambodian soldier was killed in the most recent outbreak on May 28 in an area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of Cambodia, Thailand and Laos meet.
The Thai and Cambodian militaries agreed to ease tensions the following day but Cambodia then said it would keep its troops in the area, despite Thailand urging it to withdraw.
The Royal Thai Army took control of the "opening and closing" of all border crossings it shares with Cambodia on Saturday, citing a "threat to Thailand's sovereignty and security".
The 1st Army Region banned the passage of six-wheeled trucks and reduced the operating hours of the border crossing between Aranyaprathet in Thailand's southeast and Poipet in Cambodia's west.
It said in a statement on Saturday that Thais and Cambodians would only be allowed to cross for work and trade purposes.
The Aranyaprathet-Poipet border crossing sees the most land traffic between the two countries with several thousand people using it each day, many of them Thais going to gamble at casinos on the Cambodian side.
The Royal Thai Army told AFP that the restrictions only applied to citizens of the two countries but that implementation "may vary from place to place".
Six other border checkpoints tightened their opening hours and issued bans on six-wheeled vehicles.
The Thai army said trade remained unaffected and Cambodian workers were still permitted to enter Thailand.
Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Phumtham Wechayachai said in a statement on Saturday it was "deeply regrettable" that Cambodia had "rejected" the proposal to withdraw its armed forces after the May 28 incident.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Monday the kingdom would file a complaint with the International Court of Justice over the border dispute.
Thai authorities said a Joint Boundary Committee would meet next week to resolve the issue. - AFP
