India issues travel advisory for Thailand amid clash with Cambodia: Avoid travelling to THESE places in 7 provinces

Amid escalating violence along the Thailand-Cambodia border, the Indian Embassy in Thailand on Friday issued a warning to Indian citizens not to visit seven provinces. The warning comes after months of simmering tensions in long-disputed areas saw a dramatic increase in armed conflicts.

“In view of the situation near the Thailand-Cambodia border, all Indian travellers to Thailand are advised to check updates from Thai official sources, including the TAT Newsroom,” the embassy said in a statement.

Phumtham Wechayachai, Thailand's acting prime minister, issued a severe warning at the same time as the advice, telling reporters that the situation had gotten much worse.

"The current situation involves acts of intrusion and aggression that are causing harm to people's lives. The situation has intensified and could escalate into a state of war. At present, it's a confrontation involving heavy weapons," the Prime Minister said.

What are the seven provinces in Thailand that Indians are advised to avoid amid the Cambodia-Thailand conflict?

More than 20 places in several provinces, including Ubon Ratchathani, Surin, Sisaket, Buriram, Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi, and Trat, have been closed to tourists by Thai officials.

At least 16 people were killed and numerous others were injured in fierce skirmishes that broke out near the border on Thursday. Children and a soldier were among the dead, and 30 civilians and 15 soldiers were injured. Homeowners have been forced to evacuate in their tens of thousands.

Thailand has launched airstrikes on Cambodian territory, and the battle has included gunfire exchanges, shelling, and rocket attacks. The Thai military reported several clashes in four border provinces on Friday.

 The Thai army said it retaliated with 'appropriate supporting fire' after Cambodian forces used heavy artillery and Russian-made BM-21 rocket launchers.

While Cambodian officials reported that over 4,000 people had been evacuated from locations close to the border, Thailand's Health Ministry reported that over 58,000 people had been displaced in the affected provinces.

Since a Cambodian soldier was shot dead in May, this is the second major armed conflict. Hours after both countries downgraded diplomatic ties following a landmine explosion that injured Thai troops, there was the most recent flare-up.

How many tourists visited Thailand in 2024?

Indians form a large chunk of tourists visiting Thailand. As per the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, during 2024, around 2.1 million Indian tourists visited Thailand, which is around 6 per cent of the total tourist inflow into Thailand and Indians were the third largest group of tourists visiting Thailand during this period.

The developments on the border of Cambodia and Thailand comes after clashes erupted on the border areas of Thailand and Cambodia, triggering a massive humanitarian crisis, with over one lakh people forced to flee their homes in just two days of conflict, CNN reported.

What started the war between Cambodia and Thailand?

The long-running border disputes between Thailand and Cambodia date back over a century, when France, which occupied Cambodia until 1953, first mapped the land border. Cambodia has cited that map to support its territorial claims, while Thailand rejects it as inaccurate.

The fresh wave of violence began at around 4:30 am on Friday when Cambodia reportedly opened fire using small arms and heavy weapons. The Thai army retaliated with artillery and later scrambled F-16 jets to target what it claimed were Cambodian military positions.

The clashes occurred in two locations in Thailand's Ubon Ratchathani province and one in Surin. Thai authorities warned locals to stay away from the area as they carried out bomb disposal and rescue operations in the Kantharalak district, where Cambodian rockets had landed the previous evening.
So far, 14 people have been killed in Thailand, most of them civilians, while Cambodia has reported one death and five injuries, according to CNN.

Countries including Japan, and the United States have urged both Thailand and Cambodia to exercise restraint and avoid further escalation. 

(with inputs from ANI)