Surin – Hundreds of Cambodian nationals voluntarily returned home through Surin’s Chong Chom checkpoint today as Thai military officials implemented phased security measures targeting transnational crime networks. The exodus follows Monday’s complete shutdown of all Thai-Cambodian border crossings.

Thailand Seals All Cambodia Border Crossings in Security Crackdown

Thai security forces have requested—but not forcibly compelled—Cambodian workers and residents in Kap Choeng district to temporarily leave until border tensions ease. Military spokesmen emphasized this constitutes a precautionary measure rather than deportation, with officials monitoring whether to expand the request to other Surin districts. Provincial employment records show 1,364 legally registered Cambodian workers among Surin’s 2,053 foreign employees.

The normally bustling border market near Chong Chom stood nearly deserted, with only Thai-owned shops remaining open to sparse customer traffic. Cambodian vendors expressed reluctance to depart, telling reporters they prefer Thailand’s more robust commercial opportunities despite Cambodian labor officials erecting recruitment tents offering jobs on their side of the frontier.

Hundreds of Cambodians and their vehicles are heading back to Cambodia today, via the Chong Chom permanent border checkpoint in Surin province, after being asked, by Thai security officials, to return home until the border situation returns to normal.

A security officer… pic.twitter.com/xwzEhIsYy4

— Thai PBS World (@ThaiPBSWorld) June 25, 2025

While Thailand’s blanket border closure prohibits tourist travel to Cambodia, exemptions remain for Cambodian students attending classes and patients seeking medical treatment in Thai hospitals. The military confirmed these case-by-case approvals require documentation and security screening.

The measures aim to disrupt call center scams and hybrid fraud operations exploiting porous borders. Intelligence suggests criminal networks have coerced thousands of workers—including nationals from 36 countries—into operating scams from Cambodian compounds.

Thailand Closes Sa Kaeo Border to Cambodian Vehicles Amid Rising Tensions

This developing situation may impact cross-border trade worth $9 billion annually as tensions persist.

-Thailand News (TN)