At 6:30 PM on June 16, reporters at the Aranyaprathet border checkpoint in Sa Kaeo Province described a quiet atmosphere on both the Thai and Cambodian sides following the checkpoint's closure. This comes amid speculation that Cambodian leader Hun Sen may order the closure of all Thai-Cambodian border checkpoints on June 17.
The key issue to watch is whether students will still be allowed to cross in the morning hours starting at 6:00 AM. This special exemption follows a discussion between Col. Patiwat Fueangprapassorn, Deputy Commander of the Burapha Task Force/Deputy Head of the Thai-Cambodian Border Coordination Office, and Lt. Gen. Pich Vanna, Head of the Cambodian Border Coordination Office, along with Keat Hun, Governor of Poipet City, Cambodia.
The Poipet governor requested a bilateral meeting to resolve border issues, leading to Maj. Gen. Benjaphon Dejchaiwong Na Ayutthaya of the Burapha Task Force issuing an order to allow only students to cross during the early hours.
Currently, both Thai and Cambodian authorities permit border crossing from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM for students, while the general public is allowed to cross from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
As a result of the restricted crossing hours, some travelers — both Thais heading into Cambodia and Cambodians returning to Poipet — were stranded at Aranyaprathet. This led to an increase in local hotel occupancy, with many guests being those unable to cross the border in time.
Notably, on the Cambodian side, military personnel were also deployed alongside immigration officers, while the Thai side continues to maintain standard security procedures.