"Commander of Marine Corps 182” Confirms No Clashes at Border Marker 73 by December 2025

Today (25 March) 4:55 PM at the Thawarn border crossing point, Ban Hat Lek, Khlong Yai District, Trat Province, led by Rear Admiral Phanarong Yutthawong, Secretary of the Royal Thai Navy, a group of military journalists from the central region visited the Thai-Cambodian border crossing to observe the construction of a "sediment trap dam" by a Cambodian private sector entity, which is impacting Thailand's maritime and coastal ecosystem. Commander Khunwut Rungrasmi, Commander of Marine Corps 182, welcomed the group.

Commander Khunwut gave an interview regarding the recent clashes on the Thai-Cambodian border. Regarding the recent clashes at the Ban Hat Lek border checkpoint, Commander Khunwut stated that during the second clash in the area under the jurisdiction of the Marine Corps Task Force 182, Chanthaburi and Trat Border Protection Command (Task Force 182), which oversees the areas of Khlong Yai and Hat Lek subdistricts, Khlong Yai District, Trat Province, from 7 to 28 December 2025 there were no further clashes between the two sides. However, we must remain vigilant and monitor the situation constantly. As for troop deployment, Thailand is heavily bordered by the sea, while Cambodia deploys along the mountain ridges.

Commander Khunwut further stated that Cambodia excavated and removed markers near border marker 73 around 19 December 2025, and confirmed that this was done by Cambodia on its own initiative without any contact from Thailand.

When asked about the motivation behind Cambodia's actions, Commander Khunwut said that it was seen as a modification to the natural ecosystem. The area has undergone changes since 1997, when construction began.

When asked if the Cambodian side had not informed the Thai side about the planned excavation, Commander Khunwut stated that no such notification was given.

When asked further if the purpose was to expand Cambodian territory, Commander Khunwut said that the purpose of the dam was to provide a mooring area for tourists visiting Koh Kong. Regarding the Thai protests, he stated that these protests have been ongoing since 1998.

When asked about the overall situation following the clashes in the past two to three months, Commander Khunwut said that since the clashes began in December 2025 there have been no further clashes in the area. Following the ceasefire, discussions were held in Koh Kong, but no conclusions were reached.

Commander Khunwut reiterated that the unit is monitoring security issues related to arms trafficking, drug trafficking, and scammers. Regarding the scammer situation, Cambodia is currently conducting crackdowns in Koh Kong, and while the scammer networks from South Korea and China have thinned, vigilance is still necessary to prevent scammer groups from fleeing into Thai territory. Monitoring must be conducted both on land and at sea.

Commander Khunwut reiterated that previously, the Ban Hat Lek border crossing area was an economic zone with a high trade value between Thailand and Cambodia, reaching 30 billion baht. Thailand had a trade surplus with Cambodia, importing goods worth 2 billion baht.

Commander Khunwut added that monitoring the oil situation is the responsibility of the Maritime Security Command Region 1, which is monitoring the situation and has provided support in preventing oil smuggling by using radar for detection. Currently, no oil smuggling has been found in the border area of Trat province.

Commander Khunwut further explained that the structure is approximately 508 meters long, with an additional bend of about 150-200 meters. However, the construction of the breakwater has impacted the topography and ecosystem on the Thai side because it prevents sand sediment that would normally flow onto the Thai coastline. Historical photographs from 1996 show that the beach area of Ban Hat Lek, Trat province, had a large accumulation of sand. After the breakwater was built, the sand sediment has accumulated on the Cambodian coast instead.

Commander Khunwut further stated that this has resulted in an increase of approximately 30,000 square meters of beach area behind Koh Kong Resort, while on the Thai side, in the Ban Hat Lek area, about 3,000 square meters of beach have disappeared. These impacts have also affected the marine ecosystem and traditional fishing methods, particularly shrimp and krill that previously inhabited the natural sand sediment. Currently, the quantity of these animals on the Thai side has decreased significantly, while they are found in greater numbers on the Cambodian side. Furthermore, it was reported that on 20 December 2025, a private company on the Cambodian side carried out dredging along the coastline using excavators, digging approximately 130 meters from the beach and extending about 127 meters in length. Thai security agencies, especially the Maritime Forces, are closely monitoring the situation to assess the potential impact on Thailand's coastal areas.

Photo : Khanisorn Lorthongdaeng