AKP Phnom Penh, June 22, 2025 --

The Thai side has once again violated its agreement with Cambodia after three Thai soldiers led a group of approximately 150 Thai cyclists into the Ta Moan Thom temple complex without prior notice to Cambodian authorities.

“The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces express deep concern over the incident that occurred on June 22, 2025, at around 7:30 a.m.,” stated the Ministry of National Defence in an official statement.

The Ministry emphasised that the action constitutes a clear violation of the bilateral agreement, which specifies that the temple complex is only open from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The agreement also outlines that any requests for changes or special arrangements must be jointly discussed and approved in advance to ensure smooth coordination and avoid misunderstandings.

Upon detecting the unusual activity, Cambodian forces intervened promptly and professionally, reminding the Thai side to respect the terms of the agreement. As a result, the Thai cyclists left the temple area without incident.

“Cambodia urges the Thai side to fully comply with the terms of the existing agreement, in a spirit of transparency and honesty,” the statement continued. “Respecting the agreement is vital to maintaining mutual trust, avoiding misunderstandings, and preventing incidents that Cambodia seeks to avoid.”

The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces also reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to defending Cambodia’s territorial integrity and managing the situation at Ta Moan Thom Temple peacefully and responsibly, in accordance with all existing bilateral agreements.

“All measures taken are aimed at preserving peace, security, and cooperation in border areas—strengthening good-neighbourly relations and delivering benefits to the peoples of both countries,” the Ministry concluded.

Recently, H.E. Gen. Tea Seiha, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defence, stated that Thailand has violated the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU 2000) approximately 695 times to date, through actions such as unauthorised road construction and patrol activities carried out without prior notification to the Cambodian side.

By C. Nika