Thailand presses on with Cambodia border fence after 2025 clashes
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A section of the border fence between Thailand and Cambodia in Pong Nam Ron district, Chanthaburi province, in Thailand, on July 22.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Thailand has completed the first 1.3km section of a permanent border fence with Cambodia, designed to be strong and durable against small-arms fire.
- The military plans to build over 7km more fencing where terrain allows, aiming for long-term security without causing future problems.
- Tensions remain high after deadly clashes in 2025 killed nearly 150 people and displaced 300,000, with troops still deployed on both sides of the border.
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A section of the border fence between Thailand and Cambodia in Pong Nam Ron district, Chanthaburi province, in Thailand, on July 22.
PHOTO: REUTERS
PONG NAM RON, Thailand - Thailand has completed the first section of a permanent border fence along parts of its frontier with Cambodia, the Thai military said on July 22, as tensions persist between the two South-east Asian neighbours following two rounds of fighting in 2025.
Chief of Defence Forces Ukrit Boontanon described the 1.3km stretch of reinforced concrete panels topped with steel mesh and concertina wire in the eastern Pong Nam Ron district as “stable, strong and durable”, saying it had been designed for long-term security.
“The concrete wall panels here have been test-fired. We have confirmed they can protect against small-arms fire,” Ukrit told reporters during a media tour of the site.
Ukrit said the military planned to build more than 7km of additional fencing connected to the existing section, while assessing other areas of the 817km frontier where terrain and environmental conditions would allow similar construction.
“Each area has different conditions,” he said. “We will build where it is beneficial and where it can be done without creating future problems.”
Troops remain deployed on both sides of the Thailand-Cambodia border, where longstanding territorial disputes erupted into violent clashes with the use of air strikes and artillery in July and December 2025, killing nearly 150 people and displacing 300,000.
The July 2025 outbreak was settled after five days following an intervention by US President Donald Trump, but clashes flared up again for 20 days in December before both sides agreed to a bilateral ceasefire. REUTERS
