Encroachment, not closure: Villagers fear spread of razor wire more than closed borders

Thai soldiers laid razor wire around the houses of Cambodian citizens in Prey Chan village, O Bei Choan commune, O Chrov district, Banteay Meanchey province. Hong Raksmey

O Bei Chon commune, Banteay Meanchey – For many Cambodians living along the Kingdom’s borders, the closure of border crossings with Thailand have not been the crisis that some expected.

Life in the villages continues with farming, small businesses and local workers all carrying on, much as they have for decades.

What has shaken their sense of security is something else entirely — the creeping advance of razor wire barricades and the looming presence of Thai forces.

In Chouk Chey village, home to more than 700 families, residents say the disruption is not about trade or travel restrictions.

Instead, their anxiety grows each day as they watch soldiers from across the border expand barriers into Cambodian territory.

“The border closure has not caused any serious problems for the people of Chouk Chey,” said village chief Pen Rithy.

“But the Thai military’s continued attempts to illegally seize the land of Cambodian citizens have really disrupted their lives,” he added.

Rithy explained that the fear is constant. Villagers now spend sleepless nights, staying alert to any sign of new fencing.

“In times of insecurity like this, the villagers don’t dare to go out to work anywhere far from their children, homes and families. For more than a month, we haven’t been able to sleep properly, because we have to keep watch in case they come to fence off more land or put up more barbed wire,” he said.

The real concern: Thai razor wire on Cambodian land

Just a few kilometres away in Prey Chan village, Pov Boeun, who oversees more than 200 families, echoed the same concern.

To him, the problem is not the border closure but the encroachment.

“The people have nothing to do, not because of the border closure, but because of the disruption by Thai forces who are constantly advancing into Cambodian territory and repeatedly setting up wire barricades,” he said.

“The people of the villages and the authorities must prevent their activities,” he added.

Boeun noted that villagers feel as though their freedom is shrinking, not from official closures but from the gradual push of foreign fences.

For communities whose land, farms and family compounds lie close to the contested line, the impact is immediate and personal.

Life goes on despite closed crossings

While fears of land loss dominate discussions, the practical effects of the closed border gates have been less severe than many predicted.

Several villagers described the closure as manageable.

San Vannak, a resident of Tumnop Dach village near Chouk Chey, used to work in Thailand as a construction worker. When the border closed, he found work in Poipet instead.

“Construction work in Thailand and in Poipet is not different in terms of wages. The only difference is the exchange rate between the Cambodian currency and the baht,” he told The Post.

The main inconvenience, he admitted, is travel. In Thailand, his work site was a short walk away, with transportation provided by his employer.

Now, he spends money on petrol for a daily commute to Poipet. But beyond that, he insists, life has not worsened.

“Cambodian people do not die because of the Thai border closure. Since the closure, it has been about three months,” Vannak said.

“Some people used to work in Thailand and now they work for Chinese businessmen. As for food, we grow crops and buy fish and meat at the market as usual,” he explained.

Pressure felt more in Thailand

For some border residents, the closure has even flipped the balance of hardship. One villager, whose farmland has been threatened by Thai encroachment, argued that it is Thai businesses that are struggling more.

“I think it’s good if it’s closed. We won’t die from the border closure,” he said.

“Only the Thai side is facing more difficulties because they export a lot of products to us and they are severely lacking in labour,” he noted.

He added that Thai companies are continuing to search for Cambodian workers, offering help with legal documents for those willing to cross.

“They just want us to work for them. They even help us with the paperwork so we can fly to work,” he said.

Businesswoman sees opportunity in closure

Even local entrepreneurs have found ways to adapt.

In Poipet, informal businesswoman So Sreyroath, who decorates motorbikes, admitted her shop has been affected by fewer cross-border customers. But she also sees the moment as a chance for Cambodian enterprises to grow.

“The best thing is that we Cambodians turn to supporting and loving what is our own rather than supporting our neighbours’ products,” she said.

Sreyroath, who often brings refreshments to Cambodian soldiers and residents in Chouk Chey and Prey Chan, believed the closure could inspire a longer-term shift in consumer behaviour.

“It is a driving force for Cambodians to love national products, with small crafts expanding into large factories,” she suggested.

She also voiced support for the government’s firm stance on border management, saying, “Whoever closes, opens, and Cambodia will open within five hours”.

Cambodia-Thailand trade falls amid border tensions

The recent armed clashes and Thailand’s unilateral border closures have disrupted trade between Cambodia and Thailand for the past three months.

In August 2025, bilateral trade fell to $260 million, down 30% from a year earlier, though still 25% higher than July when fighting peaked.

Cambodia exported $46 million worth of goods, while imports stood at $214 million, leaving a trade deficit of $168 million, according to the General Department of Customs and Excise.

From January to August, trade reached $2.66 billion, down nearly 5% from 2024.

Logistics experts said perceived Thai military aggression has fuelled Cambodian boycotts of Thai products, while goods are now rerouted through Laos, waterways or by air. Economists believe this shift will boost local production and reduce dependence on Thai imports.

In 2024, trade between the two neighbours totaled $4.29 billion, up 15.5% from the previous year.

Encroachment overshadows closure

For now, villagers insist that the closure of official crossings is survivable. What they cannot tolerate, however, is the steady encroachment that reshapes their land and endangers their security.

Night after night, residents stay on guard, watching for new barbed wire and advancing soldiers.

Village chiefs, business owners and workers alike say the closure is not what keeps them awake — it is the fear that tomorrow, a fence could appear where a rice field, home or family boundary once stood.

As one resident put it plainly: “Closing the border does not bother people. What bothers us is the spread of barbed wire”.

Cambodian governor protests Thai threats against border villagers

Banteay Meanchey governor Oum Reatrey has protested Thailand’s move to prosecute Cambodian villagers in Prey Chan and Chouk Chey under Thai law, calling it a violation of past agreements.

On September 28, Thai officials re-hung signs in O Bei Chon commune ordering villagers to leave or face prosecution, despite the land still being under dispute.

“The contents of the Thai announcements are a serious threat to the rights of the innocent Cambodian citizens who have been living and earning a livelihood in these two villages for a very long time,” Reatrey said.

He stressed that Sa Kaeo authorities have “no authority to define borders or enforce domestic Thai law” and urged both sides to settle the issue through the Joint Border Committee.

-The Phnom Penh Post-

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