Thailand is a strong and united country and will not tolerate maltreatment, accusations and threats to its sovereignty, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra declared on Monday, as the territorial dispute with Cambodia dragged on.
She also lambasted Cambodia for sending messages using social media instead of through official channels.
The prime minister was speaking after meeting with senior security officials at her official residence, Phitsanolok House, in Bangkok on Monday.
The session followed a meeting of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission in Phnom Penh over the weekend.
“Thailand is united. We will not tolerate maltreatment, accusations or threats from any party. Our country also has dignity. Our country is also strong,” Ms Paetongtarn said.
She emphasised her message, stabbing her index finger forward at each sentence.
Her strong comments followed reports that Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen had threatened to close all border crossings with Thailand to block the entry of Thai goods unless Bangkok restored normal border opening hours within 24 hours.
A reporter asked for her reaction to the possibility of Cambodia launching an information operation against Thailand.
“That kind of communication does no good for either country. Information is often released even though the two sides earlier agreed to wait for conclusions,” Ms Paetongtarn said.
“Regarding its posts, Cambodia must consider the interests of both Thai and Cambodian people. The announcement about closing the border right away affects both Thais and Cambodians. We are concerned about trade and the supply of fruit and vegetables,” the Thai prime minister said.
Ms Paetongtarn said unprofessional communications from Cambodia had a negative impact on both Thai and Cambodian people.
The prime minister said Thailand did not close the border with Cambodia but decided to reschedule border opening hours because long-range weapons were increasingly being deployed near the border.
“We must reschedule border opening hours because there are people in both countries. If the opening hours were not rescheduled and there was an accident, the damage would be great,” the prime minister said.
Ms Paetongtarn said she proposed to her Cambodian counterpart that Thai and Cambodian military representatives attend a Regional Border Committee (RBC) meeting to explain their respective positions.
“The armed forces and the government share the same stance, that our sovereignty must be protected. We are working out ways to prevent clashes and losses while safeguarding our sovereignty,” the prime minister said.
Speaking separately, Lt Gen Boonsin Paadklang, commander of the 2nd Army Region, said the RBC meeting is expected to take place on June 27-28 to discuss troop withdrawals to further reduce tension.