Princess wants Thailand to build ‘permanent’ wall as Cambodia tensions rage

The youngest sister of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn has expressed her wish for the military to construct a barrier along the Thai-Cambodian border, after a territorial dispute between the two countries escalated into deadly clashes earlier this year.

“Please help consider how we can build a permanent wall between Cambodia and Thailand – not something temporary, but a long-lasting structure,” Princess Chulabhorn told army officials during a meeting in Bangkok this week. She also asked the military to build bunkers for local residents alongside ones for military personnel.

It is a rare remark from the Thai royal family, whose members typically refrain from making political statements and underscores a souring relationship with neighbouring Cambodia. In one opinion poll, more than half of respondents said Thailand should not be associated with Cambodia, while some 14 per cent said Cambodia is an enemy of the country.

Thailand and Cambodia share a roughly 804km (500 miles) border, dotted with disputed areas that have been simmering for decades. Tensions erupted into one of the worst armed confrontations between the two nations in July, killing dozens of people.

A fragile ceasefire was reached after US President Donald Trump threatened to block trade deals with the countries unless they stopped fighting.

  

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