BANGKOK/ISLAMABAD (The Nation Thailand/ANN): The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs is monitoring 500 citizens in Pakistan and Afghanistan as border skirmishes threaten regional stability.
Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has confirmed it is closely monitoring the escalating military friction between Pakistan and Afghanistan, urging Thai nationals to avoid non-essential travel to affected areas.
Panidone Pachimsawat, acting director-general of the Department of Information and deputy spokesperson for the MFA, stated on Friday that the ministry has been tracking the recent wave of clashes with growing concern.
The Thai Embassy in Islamabad, which oversees diplomatic affairs for Afghanistan, along with the Consulate-General in Karachi, is currently conducting round-the-clock situational assessments to ensure the safety of Thai residents.
According to ministry records, there are approximately 500 Thai nationals currently residing in Pakistan, the majority of whom are long-term residents in Lahore and Karachi. In Afghanistan, five Thai nationals are presently employed by United Nations agencies.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, alongside our embassy and consulate, will continue to provide full assistance to our citizens in the region," Panidone said. "We strongly advise those without urgent business to refrain from travelling to the border zones until the situation stabilises."
The Thai advisory comes as the humanitarian and security landscape in the region deteriorates.
According to reports from Reuters, tensions between the two neighbours have reached a boiling point following a series of cross-border skirmishes and reciprocal accusations regarding militant safe havens.
Reuters recently highlighted that Islamabad has intensified its pressure on the Taliban-led administration in Kabul, citing a surge in terror attacks within Pakistani borders which it claims are orchestrated by groups operating from Afghan soil—a charge Kabul consistently denies.
These diplomatic fractures have frequently resulted in the closure of key trade crossings, such as the Torkham border, stranding thousands of civilians and disrupting vital supply chains.
The international community remains wary that continued kinetic exchanges could further destabilise a region already grappling with economic frailty and a dire humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
The Thai MFA has reiterated that it stands ready to implement emergency evacuation protocols should the security environment shift from localised clashes to broader regional conflict. -- The Nation Thailand/Asia News Network
