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A new round of fighting between Thailand and Cambodia has raised concerns for travellers heading to two of Southeast Asia’s most popular holiday destinations.
Tensions boiled over on Monday when Thailand launched airstrikes against what it says are military installations across the border in Cambodia. Both sides accused the other of firing first.
The skirmishes come just two months after a US-brokered peace plan was announced. They also follow a November land mine blast that stalled efforts to guarantee a ceasefire after fighting in July left 40 dead and forced the closure of land borders.
This week’s clashes have again displaced tens of thousands. Thai officials say more than 125,000 people are now sheltering in makeshift camps, while Cambodia says it has evacuated more than 21,000 from three border provinces.
The fighting has so far occurred only in remote frontier districts far from cities typically visited by tourists.
Despite the clashes, flights to Thailand keep operating
Thailand and Cambodia are very popular travel destinations over the winter holidays as cold weather grips much of the northern hemisphere. But the conflict has not put a damper on winter travel and has yet to affect major tourist hubs.
The fighting is far from popular travel sites, including Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.
But earlier Tuesday, clashes along Thailand’s Trat border brought the fighting close to the tourist islands of Koh Chang, Koh Kood and Koh Mak. Of the Thai provinces bordering Cambodia, only Chanthaburi has so far avoided the fighting.
Despite the attacks, a spokesperson for Cambodia’s civil aviation authority told local reporters that flights between Bangkok, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap continue to operate normally, though some airspace remains closed until further notice.
Land borders, however, are closed for entry and exit, meaning travellers cannot currently cross between the two countries by road.
What do national advisories say?
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against all but essential travel to affected sections of the Thailand-Cambodia border, citing ongoing gunfire, artillery use and the presence of unexploded landmines.
Several temple sites straddling the frontier, including Cambodia’s contested Preah Vihear, known as Khao Phra Wihan in Thailand, are closed.
But the FCDO has not issued a wider warning against travel to Thailand or Cambodia, and both countries’ major airports, resorts and cities remain open.
Cautious travellers in the UK should note that unless the advisory warns against nationwide travel in Thailand or Cambodia, refunds will not be guaranteed.