Recently, Thai media visited the Aranyaprathet border checkpoint in Sa Kaeo Province and observed a dramatic change in immigration and emigration patterns, with a large number of Thais returning from Cambodia and a significant drop in those heading to Cambodia. It is reported that the Eastern Command of Thailand has recently upgraded the border alert level and strongly urged citizens not to visit the casino areas on the Poipet side of Cambodia, whether for work or gambling, leading to a steep decline in the number of people traveling to Cambodia.
Data shows that previously, about 4000 to 5000 Thais would exit through this checkpoint daily, but this number has now sharply decreased to less than 200 per day. On the day of the report, only 121 people exited via Borderpass and 196 via passport, both marking the lowest records in recent years.
Meanwhile, the number of entries has exploded. On the same day, 2709 Thais returned home with passports, and 196 entered using Borderpass, indicating that many Thais who had been staying in Cambodia are now actively leaving, showing initial effects of the policy.
Regarding Cambodian citizens, 6991 entered Thailand using Borderpass and 365 with passports on that day; the number of exits was also high, with 6248 leaving via Borderpass and 625 via passport, indicating that the two-way flow remains frequent but has stabilized.
The situation at the Thai-Cambodian border is still evolving, and the Thai government's crackdown measures are beginning to show results, with more control details and new policy announcements expected to be released soon.
