Thailand is pressing ahead with plans to build a 10-kilometre security fence along a section of its border with Cambodia in Sa Kaeo Province.
The project carries an estimated cost of 87 million baht (around £1.88 million) and has already received initial support through a royal donation.
Defence Minister General Nattaphon Narkphanit said on 25 September that Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Krom Phra Srisavangavadhana had contributed 1 million baht to establish the Hathai Thip Fund. The fund will serve as seed capital for constructing fences and barriers along the frontier.
According to the minister, the initiative aims to enhance public safety, provide greater support for border troops, and strengthen long-term security management.
General Nattaphon underlined that the fence would only be erected in areas where the boundary line has been clearly agreed upon by both Thailand and Cambodia.
This assurance is significant given that the Thai-Cambodian border has long been a source of tension and historic disputes.
Officials insist the construction will function strictly as a security measure, designed to combat cross-border crime, block illegal crossings, and curb online scam networks and human trafficking. It will not act as a marker of sovereignty in contested zones.
The Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters has been tasked with leading the project in coordination with the First and Second Army Areas, as well as the Royal Thai Navy in the southern sectors.
They will also work alongside the Royal Thai Survey Department, part of the Joint Boundary Commission, to provide technical surveying support.
The proposed fence in Sa Kaeo Province is now awaiting final budget approval. General Nattaphon confirmed that once government funds are allocated, construction can begin immediately, even though spending is being carefully reviewed due to limited national resources.
In other parts of the border where demarcation remains unresolved, authorities are focusing on temporary barriers, patrol routes, and advanced electronic surveillance systems, including CCTV cameras, to maintain security and monitor possible incursions.
