June 23, 2025
PHNOM PENH – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has responded to the unilateral decision of Thailand’s Military Region 2 to close the Chong Sai Taku-Choub Korki border checkpoint.
Manet addressed the issue earlier this morning on June 22, stating that Cambodia will respond in kind by permanently closing the Choub Korki checkpoint in Banteay Ampil district and the Anlong Veng Choam border checkpoints, both in Oddar Meanchey province.
The move follows a series of border closures and restrictions initiated by the Thai military, which began on June 7.
These closures, according to Cambodian authorities, have severely disrupted the daily lives of both people who depend on the border for cross-border trade, travel and family connections.
“Since 7 June 2025, the Thai army has UNILATERALLY implemented closures of border checkpoints between Cambodia and Thailand without much consideration of its negative effects on people of both countries,” said Manet.
“It has never been Cambodia’s intention to cause difficulty for people in our both countries who need to use border checkpoints. Yet, if Thai army continue to use this method to put pressure on Cambodia, Cambodia can answer accordingly at anytime,” he added.
The prime minister expressed his frustration with the lack of coordination between Thai political leaders and the military, which has led to confusion and inconsistency regarding the closures.
“I am not sure if this is tactics or strategy of working relationship between Thai government and Thai army, because it seems there is a lack of consensus and clarity on their real objective regarding border closures,” he stated.
On the matter of opening the border checkpoints, he reiterated Cambodia’s stance, stressing that there is no need for bilateral negotiations.
He said Cambodia has always acted with clear consensus from the top leadership to the troops on the ground. If Thailand wishes to reopen the border checkpoints to their previous state, it can be done unilaterally, just as the Thai army closed them unilaterally.
The prime minister outlined a simple solution, urging Thailand to reopen the checkpoints first, as the Thai army had closed them.
“Cambodia will reopen all checkpoints on our sides the latest 5 hours after that. Such a simple solution can be done easily and quickly without the need to have any bilateral negotiation,” Manet affirmed.
The Cambodian government’s position is clear: if Thailand genuinely wants the border situation resolved and normal operations resumed, the solution lies in the hands of the Thai army.
