India issues travel advisory to citizens to avoid Cambodia-Thailand border amid escalating violence

In light of escalating hostilities along the Cambodia-Thailand border, the Indian Embassy in Cambodia on Saturday issued a travel advisory urging Indian nationals to avoid visiting border areas. The advisory comes as clashes between the two Southeast Asian nations enter their third consecutive day, triggering mounting casualties and mass displacement.

“In view of the ongoing clashes at the Cambodia-Thailand border, Indian nationals are advised to avoid traveling to the border areas,” the advisory read. Indian nationals were also encouraged to contact the Embassy in case of emergency situations.

The advisory from Phnom Penh follows a similar one issued by the Indian Embassy in Thailand on Friday, which discouraged travel to over 20 locations across multiple provinces, including Ubon Ratchathani, Surin, Sisaket, Buriram, Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi, and Trat—areas either directly affected by the conflict or deemed highly sensitive.

The conflict, described as the most severe in over a decade, has resulted in at least 31 fatalities and the displacement of more than 130,000 people, as border villages become flashpoints in a volatile standoff.

On Saturday morning, the Thai Navy reported renewed clashes in Trat, a coastal province located more than 100 kilometers from the initial conflict zones, indicating a potential expansion of hostilities.

The current flare-up traces back to the fatal shooting of a Cambodian soldier during a border skirmish in May. Since then, both nations have escalated military deployments, intensifying a long-standing territorial dispute that has now snowballed into a diplomatic crisis.

Both governments are lobbying for international diplomatic support while simultaneously accusing one another of aggression. Each side continues to assert that it acted in self-defence and has called on the other to cease fire and return to negotiations.

Analysts warn that the unrest could have broader geopolitical repercussions, particularly as Thailand’s fragile ruling coalition faces internal turmoil, which some believe is being exacerbated by the ongoing conflict.

The Indian Embassies in both countries have reiterated their commitment to assisting Indian nationals and urged the community to remain vigilant and stay updated via official channels.