Thailand begins constructing concrete barrier along Cambodia border after deadly clashes

In Chanthaburi province, the Royal Thai Navy Marine Task Force has erected a concrete fence topped with barbed wire, marking the initial kilometre of an 8.4-km wall along the Thailand-Cambodia frontier. The 3.6-metre high structure, built from reinforced concrete, galvanized steel mesh and barbed wire, is intended to curb illegal smuggling and other cross-border crimes, according to Capt. Prachya Hantiem. The barrier cuts through farmland of a small Thai village of fewer than 200 residents, who say they will lose some land but welcome the perceived security boost.

Village chief Itchira Aranchaiyasiri noted the fence will change long-standing free movement between the two nations. The wall incorporates gates that respect historic French-era stone markers defining the border. The construction follows deadly clashes in July and December last year, a ceasefire signed in late December, and the closure of the border that displaced half a million people, of whom about 20,000 Cambodians remain displaced.