BANGKOK: The Royal Thai Navy has taken the unprecedented step of launching 24-hour live video broadcasts from three key checkpoints along the Cambodian border.
The initiative aims to provide absolute transparency and debunk persistent social media rumours alleging that officials are secretly permitting illicit travel and freight transport across the closed frontier.
Rear Admiral Parach Rattanachaipan, spokesperson for the Royal Thai Navy, firmly denied claims circulating on several social media platforms that the military had quietly reopened transit routes in Chanthaburi and Trat provinces.
Characterising the reports as entirely fabricated, Rear Admiral Paratch stated that the live broadcasts would allow the public to verify the reality on the ground at any time.
The continuous live feeds are being broadcast via the official "Royal Thai Navy Spokesperson" Facebook page, covering three vital permanent border crossings: Ban Pakard Permanent Border Checkpoint (Pong Nam Ron District, Chanthaburi), Ban Laem Permanent Border Checkpoint (Pong Nam Ron District, Chanthaburi), and Ban Hat Lek Permanent Border Checkpoint (Khlong Yai District, Trat).
The Navy reiterated that border control protocols are being stringently maintained in accordance with national security directives.
Entry and exit points are strictly locked down, with exceptions granted only for legally mandated tasks, specific security operations, or critical humanitarian needs. Every approved transit remains subject to meticulous individual vetting by armed forces personnel.
The Chanthaburi and Trat Border Defence Command has significantly intensified its footprint along the eastern frontier, conducting aggressive patrols, surveillance, and interception operations.
These enhanced measures have recently led to numerous high-profile interceptions of illegal immigrants, human trafficking syndicates, and transnational criminal networks operating near the boundary lines.
The strict lockdown of the eastern checkpoints is a direct consequence of the severe Cambodian–Thai border crisis that erupted in mid-2025.
Sparked by long-standing ambiguities in boundary demarcations dating back to the colonial era, tensions escalated into significant armed confrontations involving heavy artillery, rocket fire, and air strikes across multiple border sectors.
The conflict forced the full closure of land and maritime routes in Chanthaburi and Trat provinces. Tens of thousands of civilians were displaced, and major commercial infrastructure suffered severe disruptions. Although a shaky ceasefire was established, bilateral relations remain deeply strained. - The Nation/ANN
