Thais and Cambodians arrive in force at Ta Muen Thom and Ta Kwai ruins

About 7,000 Thai and Cambodian tourists visited Ta Muen Thom and Ta Kwai ancient ruins in Phnom Dongrak district of Surin province today, in what was seen as a show of patriotism to lay claim to the two temples.

It is reported that Cambodian officials chartered several buses to take their people to the two locations, both on un-demarcated territory, claimed by both Thailand and Cambodia.

To ensure that the visits remained peaceful, Lt-Gen Boonsin Padklang, commander of the Second Army Region, had coordinated with his Cambodian counterpart, Maj-Gen Nia Wong, commander of the 42nd brigade, to arrange for seven soldiers from each side to be posted at the temples, so the Thai and Cambodian tourists could visit the sites without interference.

The Thai army general advised the tourists to comply with the regulations and not to cause any trouble. A report on Thai social media had urged Thai tourists to wear Thai-style clothes and to treat Cambodian tourists as their guests.

Meanwhile, in Bangkok, members of the Network of Students and People for Thailand’s Reform rallied in front of the Cambodian embassy, to protest against the laying of new landmines, allegedly by Cambodian troops, in the Chong Bok pass in Nam Yuen district of Ubon Ratchathani.

About 100 police officers were deployed at the protest site, but the event passed peacefully and the protesters dispersed after about three hours.