The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has issued fresh travel warnings for Thailand and Cambodia as the Southeast Asian nations clash near their border.
While DFAT hasn’t raised its travel advice level for either country overall, it has upped its alert level for the impacted regions in both countries – that is, the border areas between northeast Thailand and northwest Cambodia.
“We now advise reconsider your need to travel to the border areas of Buriram, Si Saket, Surin and Ubon Ratchathani provinces near the Cambodia border due to armed conflict in the area,” DFAT states on its Smartraveller website regarding Thailand.
“Armed conflict between Thai and Cambodian forces along the Thai-Cambodian border has increased. This includes reports of military strikes, violence and landmines in the border areas of Buriram, Si Saket, Surin and Ubon Ratchathani provinces.
“There are reports of casualties. Follow the advice of local authorities, monitor local media for updates and pay close attention to your personal security. Border crossing points along the Thai-Cambodian border continue to be closed at short notice.”
For Cambodia, DFAT continues to advise Australians to exercise normal safety precautions overall – the lowest travel warning level.
However, it now advises Aussies to “reconsider your need to travel to the border area of the north-western provinces of Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey due to armed conflict in the area”.
Speaking to the ABC, Australian resident Olivia Tedeschi said that tourists, including herself, were “panicking” after bus services between Cambodia and Thailand were cancelled last week, and she had to fly instead.
“You physically couldn’t get from Cambodia to Thailand or vice versa by border land crossings,” she stated.
The affected region in Cambodia lies around 100 kilometres from the tourist hotspot Angkor Wat.
The two countries’ border dispute dates back over a century to French colonial-era maps and has flared up repeatedly, fuelled by ongoing nationalist tensions, The Guardian reports.
Meanwhile, Smartraveller continues to warn Australians in Thailand of “an ongoing risk of terrorism”.
“Popular tourist areas may be the target of terrorist attacks anywhere across Thailand, including Bangkok and Phuket,” it states.
In late June, the Australian government issued a new travel warning for Phuket, after an explosive device was found near Phuket International Airport.
In light of the discovery, Phuket airport has upped security measures and advised passengers to arrive well ahead of their flights.
