BANGKOK: Interior Minister Phumtham Wechayachai (pic) stated on Friday (July 4) that the measures at the Thai-Cambodian border will remain unchanged, with no easing of border crossings.
Phumtham made this statement following a National Security Council (NSC) meeting, where Deputy Defence Minister Gen Natthapon Nakpanich reported on the situation at the Thai-Cambodian border.
He summarised that tensions remain high, and as a result, the existing measures will stay in place.
The NSC acknowledged and expressed gratitude to the Ad Hoc Centre for Thailand-Cambodia Border Situation for its ongoing efforts. Phumtham added that Natthapon had been appointed to find a resolution to the issue.
When asked whether discussions had included the possibility of relaxing border measures, Phumtham confirmed that no such talks had taken place, reiterating that no decision had been made about opening the border gates.
"Natthapon is already the government's representative in the Thailand team, so from now on, any discussions on finding a solution will continue until we reach a decision on how to proceed," he said.
He also clarified that the final decision on resolving the Thai-Cambodia border tensions and whether to open or close border crossings will still need to be presented to the NSC for further consideration.
Phumtham also addressed the appearance of a video on the "Army Military Force - สำรอง" page, which showed Cambodian soldiers armed with machine guns attempting to encroach on Thai territory.
The incident reportedly led to a verbal altercation when Thai rangers intervened, though no conflict ensued. Phumtham stated that he had not seen the video and was not aware of the situation, adding that no official report had been submitted regarding the incident.
When asked whether this issue was raised at the NSC meeting, Phumtham did not respond and promptly left for his vehicle. - The Nation/ANN
