The governor of Cambodia’s Kep province has ordered a full ban on the import of fuel, gas, vegetables, fruit and seafood from Thailand via maritime routes, in response to escalating border tensions between the two countries.
Speaking on June 30, Saom Piseth instructed the navy, military police, the provincial fisheries administration and all relevant authorities to increase patrols and strictly prevent any attempts to bring restricted goods into Cambodia by sea.
He emphasized that all fishing boats and small vessels must be closely monitored, as they could be used to conceal contraband. Saom Piseth added that seafood products and marine supplies from Thailand must also be blocked.
The move, he said, is intended to disrupt Thailand’s maritime trade corridor for delivering goods, including vegetables and fruit, to markets in Vietnam via Cambodian territory.
Saom Piseth called on officials to carry out their duties with a strong sense of national responsibility and not to turn a blind eye. He warned that if banned items are discovered within Kep province as a result of negligence or collusion by any unit, he will report the matter to higher authorities for investigation and disciplinary action without exception.
He described the current situation as a time of confrontation with an external threat to Cambodian sovereignty and stated that there must be no concessions to foreign actors. “This is not a matter of blocking the land route and allowing the sea route,” he said. “The entire system must be closed.”
The directive follows rising tensions at the Cambodia-Thailand border, which have intensified since May 28 when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a reported exchange of fire initiated by Thai forces in the Mom Bei area. The dispute has since deepened, leading to reduced border crossings and now complete closures.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet recently issued a four-point message addressing citizens of both countries. He acknowledged the hardships faced by Cambodian and Thai communities affected by the closures. Hun Manet stressed that Cambodia had not initiated the border shutdown following the late-May incident and has no intention of expanding into disputed areas or disrupting livelihoods and trade along the border.
Hun Manet added that resolving the issue is entirely possible if Thailand, which first imposed the border closure unilaterally on June 7, chooses to reopen its side of the border. Cambodia, he said, would then follow suit and reopen its checkpoints within five hours.
The Cambodian government has not indicated when or whether additional trade restrictions may follow. However, officials say they remain committed to protecting national interests while avoiding escalation.
