Cambodia Says Thai Forces Deployed Armor at O Smach
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PHNOM PENH, April 3, 2026 — Cambodia on Thursday rejected allegations by the Royal Thai Army that its forces had engaged in provocative actions along the border, calling the claims “entirely untrue and baseless” and accusing Thai troops of unauthorized deployments in a disputed area.
In a statement, Lieutenant General Maly Socheata, spokeswoman for Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence, said Cambodian forces had acted with “restraint, responsibility and professionalism” while maintaining vigilance to protect national sovereignty.
The response followed a post published earlier the same day by the Royal Thai Army on its official Facebook page, which alleged provocative actions by Cambodian troops and reported reinforcement measures at the O Smach border crossing.
Cambodia, however, said Thai forces had deployed two armored vehicles and around 70 personnel at the O Smach International Border Checkpoint in Oddar Meanchey province at about 6:20 a.m. local time. The statement further accused Thai troops of reinforcing barbed wire in areas described as being under “illegal occupation” and conducting military activities without prior notification.
According to Phnom Penh, its Military Region 4 liaison team contacted Thailand’s Military Region 2 to demand an immediate halt to the activities and urged compliance with existing agreements.
The Cambodian side also referenced a recent verification by the ASEAN Observer Team, which inspected the situation at the crossing on March 29.
Despite a ceasefire in place, Cambodia said it remained committed to implementing agreements reached under the Cambodia–Thailand General Border Committee, including a joint statement issued in December 2025 and a peace declaration signed in October 2025.
The Defence Ministry called on Thailand to “reciprocate consistency, goodwill and honesty” to ensure stability and long-term security along the border.
Border tensions between the Southeast Asian neighbors have flared intermittently over disputed areas, though both sides have pledged to resolve differences through dialogue and existing bilateral mechanisms.
