The United States government has reportedly warned Americans against traveling to the Thailand-Cambodia border region as tensions rise between the two neighboring countries.
The U.S. Embassy in Thailand issued a security alert to American tourists on Dec. 16, warning of an “escalating armed conflict” in the popular Asian destination.
“US citizens should avoid all travel within 50 kilometers (about 31 miles) of the Thai-Cambodian border due to active hostilities and an unpredictable security situation,” the alert said.
Conditions on both sides “remain unstable,” he added, and it is an “unpredictable security situation.”
“US citizens should avoid all travel within 50 kilometers of the Thai-Cambodian border due to active hostilities and an unpredictable security situation,” the statement said.
He added: “The US Embassy is monitoring reports of a significant escalation of conflict along the Thai-Cambodian border.”
What did the “safety notice” say?
Tourists already in the area are advised to follow the instructions of Thai security services as the US government has “limited ability to provide emergency services”.
The US statement listed steps Americans must take amid the Thai-Cambodian border conflict. They were as follows:
> Avoid all travel within 50 km of the Cambodia-Thailand border.
> Follow the instructions of Thai security services and local authorities.
> In the absence of other leadership, be careful or take cover if you unexpectedly find yourself close to a conflict.
> Prepare or update your personal emergency plan. Review the Traveler’s Checklist.
> Register and update your details in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) .
> Receive alerts from the US State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs via WhatsApp.
> Follow the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Facebook and X .
> Visit travel.state.gov and the website of the US Embassy in Thailand.
The Thai-Cambodian conflict
Fighting broke out between the two countries on December 7 across the long-disputed border. The territorial dispute dates back to the kingdom’s long history of rivalry.
More than a dozen people on both sides of the border have been killed so far in the fighting, with more than half a million displaced, The Associated Press reported.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday (Dec 13) that Thai and Cambodian leaders had agreed to restore a ceasefire after days of deadly clashes, even as Thai and Cambodian officials indicated there was still work to be done to get back on track a truce the US administration helped broker earlier this year.
Trump announced the deal to restore the ceasefire in a social media post after phone calls with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet.
“They have agreed tonight to STOP all filming and go back to the original peace agreement made with me and them with the help of the great Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
