Air travel to Thailand banned for Cambodians amid tensions

Air travel still officially open to all between Cambodia and Thailand

When contacted, Cambodian professionals working in the travel sector said they were unaware of any new restriction. While heightened controls might be understandable given the ongoing conflict between the two neighbors, any such measures should be clearly communicated in advance. Airlines are also apparently unaware of any new rules.

The reported ban is all the more surprising given recent public remarks by Senate President and former Prime Minister Hun Sen, who sought to “clarify” what he described as misunderstandings surrounding the suspension of travel between Cambodia and Thailand.

In a message posted on social media on December 14, Hun Sen said his earlier advisory to the Royal Government of Cambodia applied only to land border crossings, which he described as unsafe due to fighting and military aggression along the frontier.

“Yesterday, I issued a message advising the Royal Government to consider suspending land-border crossings by Cambodian and Thai citizens in order to ensure the safety of both peoples,” he wrote.

He emphasized that the suspension applied exclusively to land travel, noting that hostilities were occurring along the entire land border and parts of the maritime area. Air travel, he said, remained unaffected because there was no fighting at airports.

“Therefore, Thai nationals currently residing in Cambodia may depart by air via Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. Thai citizens working near the Vietnam border may also exit through Vietnam and make onward arrangements to return to Thailand,” Hun Sen wrote.

“As for Cambodian citizens wishing to return to Cambodia, they should do so by air from locations with available flights to Cambodia,” he added.

One-way communication?

The Cambodian strongman further stressed: “I reiterate once again that we have not prohibited travel for Cambodian or Thai citizen. What we are requesting to be suspended is land travel, which poses a serious danger to people’s lives. Please read my message carefully and do not misinterpret my good intentions to protect the lives of both Cambodian and Thai people, or use them as grounds for attack against me.”

The apparent disconnect suggests that Cambodian police and immigration authorities may not be fully aware of their leader’s message.

The Cambodian government has been quick to denounce what it sees as possible Thai restrictions on travel between the two countries—most recently following a statement by the Cambodian Embassy in France about alleged problems at Bangkok airport, which Thai airport authorities later denied. However, it has been far less efficient in clearly communicating its own policies affecting Cambodian citizens.