Thai Forces and Monks Reportedly Raise Thai Flag at Thmor Da, Cambodia Protests
Thai Forces and Monks Reportedly Raise Thai Flag at Thmor Da, Cambodia Protests
PHNOM PENH, Oct. 3, 2026 — The Royal Government of Cambodia has lodged another formal protest against what it describes as continued violations of Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity along the border with Thailand.
In a press release dated October 2, 2026, Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said Thai armed forces, accompanied by Thai monks, erected a Thai flag on September 30 in the area of the Thmor Da International Border Checkpoint in Thmor Da Commune, Veal Veng District, Pursat Province.
Cambodia described the reported action as another instance of Thailand using its national flag to assert what Phnom Penh considers an unlawful occupation of Cambodian territory.
The Cambodian government said the area in question falls within territory defined and delimited by 1:200,000-scale maps produced by the commissions responsible for boundary delimitation between French Indochina and Siam, pursuant to the 1904 Franco-Siamese Convention and 1907 Treaty.
Cambodia also said the reported activity violated Article 5 of the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding on the Survey and Demarcation of the Land Boundary between Cambodia and Thailand, as well as Item I on de-escalation measures in the Joint Statement of the Third Special Meeting of the General Border Committee held on December 27, 2025.
Cambodia Rejects Unilateral Border Claims
The Cambodian government reiterated that it does not accept any boundary line or territorial claim that Thailand unilaterally asserts.
It said the latest incident would not prejudice Cambodia’s legal rights or position concerning the international boundary.
Cambodia called on Thailand to cease what it described as unlawful activities, refrain from further unilateral actions and work toward reducing tensions, building mutual trust and preserving peace and good neighbourly relations along the border.
The government also reaffirmed its commitment to resolving boundary disputes with Thailand exclusively through peaceful means, in accordance with international law and existing bilateral agreements.
“Borderlines must not be changed by force,” the Cambodian government said, reiterating its stated position on the management of the two countries’ disputed border.
The statement comes amid continuing tensions over sections of the Cambodia-Thailand frontier. A report published by Kampucheathmey on October 3 likewise described the Cambodian government’s statement as a formal protest over the reported flag-raising at Thmor Da.
