Thai Army Rebuffs Cambodian Claims, Affirms Sa Kaeo Sovereignty

The Thai army said Cambodia's UN ambassador repeatedly presented distorted information that harms the atmosphere for solving the problem, insisting that three sites in Sa Kaeo are within Thai sovereignty and stressing that Thailand adheres to humanitarian principles and international law. On October 15, 2026, regarding the statement made by Cambodian UN ambassador Ke Sophanna on October 13 in Geneva, he urged Thailand to resume talks and allow displaced Cambodians to return to their original villages. He also claimed that the December 2025 fighting had displaced over 650,000 Cambodians, with more than 20,000 still unable to go home, and accused Thailand of occupying land, blocking access to communities, and destroying houses and infrastructure. Army spokesman Lieutenant General Winthai Suwari responded that the numbers presented are inconsistent with facts and may cause misunderstanding, especially the 650,000 figure, which represents Cambodians who had entered temporary shelters to avoid danger during the fighting, not those still unable to return to their homes today. He noted that Thailand had also seen nearly 500,000 of its own people displaced, most of whom returned home after the cease‑fire agreement on December 27, 2025. Concerning the claim that over 20,000 Cambodians cannot return to their former residences, Thai authorities checked the three locations in Sa Kaeo province—Ban Nong Chan, Ban Nong Ya Kaew, and Ban Khlong Phraeng—and found about 4,600 people involved, or more than 900 households, which differs from the Cambodian side's figure. He added that the area lies within Thai sovereignty and has experienced continuous settlement and community expansion by Cambodians for over 40 years, dating back to when Thailand assisted Cambodian refugees fleeing internal conflict. The army spokesman said Thailand has repeatedly raised objections and attempted to resolve the issue through mechanisms under the 2000 memorandum of understanding (MOU 43) and related laws, but cooperation from Cambodia has been insufficient. Therefore, it believes the matter of long‑term community settlement in the area should be separated from the refugee situation caused by fighting to avoid confusion and enable resolution through existing mechanisms. Regarding the accusation that Thailand has seized Cambodian territory, the spokesman affirmed that the areas cited are within Thai territory and that Cambodia has encroached there for a long time; some locations were even used as bases to attack Thai soldiers and civilians during past fighting. Thailand therefore needs to control and monitor the area to prevent repeat attacks and protect its forces and civilians, not to occupy Cambodian land as claimed. These actions aim to preserve Thai sovereignty and security while considering humanitarian principles. On the demand that Thailand comply with the agreements of October 26, 2025 and December 27, 2025 and international law, the army reiterated its position of resolving the issue peacefully through bilateral mechanisms and relevant frameworks, urging both sides to take the agreements seriously, respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and base solutions on facts.