AMID an accusation that Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul violated Cambodian sovereignty during a visit to Chong An Ma border crossing (called An Seh by Cambodians) in Ubon Ratchathani province last weekend, Thailand’s Joint Information Centre (JIC) chief ACM Praphas Sonjaidee said that his visit was to encourage troops and not demarcate the boundary, Amarin TV and Naewna newspaper said today (Aug. 26).
Phnom Penh Post said Cambodia has lodged its “strongest protest” yet against Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, for his visit to the An Seh area in Preah Vihear province, accusing Bangkok of attempting to legitimise its territorial claim over land that Phnom Penh says has been illegally occupied by Thai forces since last year.
In today’s press release, the Khmer Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said Anutin visited An Seh, in Choam Ksan district, on August 23 without Cambodia’s authorisation.
The ministry described the visit as a deliberate attempt to assert an illegitimate claim over Cambodian sovereign territory, amid continuing tensions and competing accounts of the situation along the two countries’ shared border.
“The unauthorised visit constitutes a deliberate attempt to assert illegitimate claims over Cambodia’s sovereign territory — an area that has been illegally occupied by Thai armed forces since last year,” the Cambodian ministry said.
It argued that no lawful territorial entitlement could result from an act that Cambodia considers illegal.
However, ACM Praphas questioned who has the authority to unilaterally decide on border issues and stressed that repeated claims do not automatically resolve the border dispute.
He stated that Cambodia’s declaration that the area in question is “Cambodian sovereign territory” is a claim, and no matter how many times it is stated or repeated, it will not resolve the issue. This does not automatically render the aforementioned claims conclusive regarding the border.
The Thai Prime Minister’s visit was to inspect and encourage security personnel, not to demarcate borders, not to draw border lines, and did not alter the border in any way.
“Visiting troops is not border demarcation, and the term ‘unauthorised,’ coined by one side, is not a judgment on sovereignty,” ACM Praphas stated.
Cambodia maintains that An Seh lies inside its internationally recognised territory, as defined by the 1:200,000-scale maps produced by the commissions established to delimit the boundary between French Indochina and Siam.
Thailand has historically challenged Cambodia’s reliance on the maps in several disputed sections of the frontier and uses different interpretations of the watershed and boundary lines. The competing positions have repeatedly caused tensions between the two neighbouring countries.
Regarding Cambodia’s assertion that it has 1:200,000 scale maps to support its claims and that the area has already been defined and demarcated, the Thai JIC chief stated that Thailand does not reject historical evidence or documents without reason, but it does not accept one side presenting only partial evidence to declare a border dispute instead of the process agreed upon by both countries.
“If there are differing opinions, we have the JBC (Joint Boundary Committee), experts, documents, evidence, and a survey and demarcation process that must be conducted jointly,” the Thai JIC Director said.
Regarding the question of whether Thailand is violating the ceasefire agreement, ACM Praphas said that Thailand adheres to the Joint Statement of December 27, 2025, and wants all parties to read and abide by it in full, not just select parts that support their accusations.
The Joint Statement stipulates that both sides should maintain their forces at their current locations, but there is a distinction between “provocation” and the performance of duties, which includes inspecting troops, receiving updates on the situation, and boosting morale.
Such actions do not amount to initiating the use of force, nor do they constitute a change in borders, but also do not mean that Thailand relinquishes its right to ensure the safety of civilians and personnel, he said.
CAPTION:
Top and Front Page: Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visiting troops at Chong An Ma border crossing. Photos – Naewna
Inserted: ACM Praphas Sonjaidee. Photo – Amarin TV
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