The United States warned travelers to “exercise increased caution” when traveling to Thailand and Cambodia, following heightened conflict between the countries.
The State Department raised both advisories to Level 2 on July 25, citing the “risk of unrest” in Thailand and crime and landmines in Cambodia. Areas near the Thailand-Cambodia border are also designated Level 4 – its highest – because of armed conflict.
“Do not travel to areas within 50km of the Thai-Cambodian border due to ongoing fighting between Thai and Cambodian military forces,” the State Department’s Thailand advisory said.
Cambodia and Thailand agreed to an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire” from midnight on Monday, in a bid to halt their deadliest conflict in more than a decade after five days of fierce fighting that has displaced more than 300,000 people.
The Southeast Asian neighbors have wrangled for decades over border territory and have been tussling since the killing of a Cambodian soldier in a skirmish late in May, which led to a troop buildup on both sides. A full-blown diplomatic crisis brought Thailand’s fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse.
The advisories also highlight other potential risks. In Thailand, which has seen increased interest from travelers as the setting of the most recent season of “The White Lotus”, the State Department warned of insurgent activities in certain provinces, for example.
“Periodic violence between Thai security services and armed insurgents has been known to occur in Thailand’s three southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat,” the advisory said. “Seventeen districts in these provinces remain under a declared state of emergency due to ongoing violent conflict.”
The State Department recommended that travelers to both countries sign up for its Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), which can help them receive emergency updates, be prepared to evacuate without the help of the U.S. government, and take other safety precautions. The full list of recommendations can be found here for Thailand and here for Cambodia.
Contributing: Reuters
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
