BANGKOK // Thailand's recent tit-for-tat action against Cambodia has heightened tensions between the two neighbours. Troops along the border are on high alert and Thailand is threatening to seal off the border altogether. Thai officials are preparing contingency plans to evacuate thousands of Thais who live in Cambodia if the dispute turns nasty.
Other South-East Asian countries have expressed concern over the worsening diplomatic row, fearing it could seriously damage the image of the regional grouping Asean before the US president's visit to the region to attend two significant regional summits in Singapore this week.
Angered by the Cambodian government's appointment of the former Thai prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, as an economic adviser last Wednesday, Thailand immediately withdrew its ambassador from Phnom Penh. "It was a matter of national pride," Anuraj Manibhandu, a former news editor at the Bangkok Post and a Cambodia expert said in an interview. "They had to show a strong resolve in the face of Cambodia's insulting and provocative action."
Thaksin, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006, is currently living in self-imposed exile to avoid a jail term for corruption if he returns to Thailand. At the Asean summit last month, in the southern Thai tourist resort of Hua Hin, the Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen told reporters that he planned to invite the deposed Thai leader to live in Cambodia and advise his government on economic matters. He compared him to Aung San Suu Kyi, the detained Myanmar opposition leader.
The current Thai prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, responded angrily to this suggestion at a press conference at the time. "He is seriously misinformed," Mr Abhisit said in an interview. "I am sure he will revise his views when he understands the real situation."
After the summit the Thai government thought the matter had been resolved, according to Thai diplomats. But Hun Sen obviously wanted to take another swipe at the Thai prime minister through provocative comments in the press, according to Tom Fawthrop, a British journalist and author of several books on Cambodia.
The dispute is threatening to get out of hand. Thailand has scrapped an oil and gas exploration deal with Cambodia to jointly develop a disputed area in the Gulf of Thailand. The deal was signed in 2001 during Thaksin's tenure. Talks over the disputed land around the ancient Preah Vihear temple on the border are also in danger of being suspended, according to Thai government officials. Since July 2008, troops on both sides of the border near there have been on alert, after several deadly skirmishes resulted in more than a dozen deaths. "The most worrying problem is that there are no guarantees that the situation will not disintegrate into armed conflict between the two nations," said a political historian and Cambodian specialist, Charnvit Kasetsiri.
"The Thai government reacted too strongly and too quickly, leaving little room now for diplomatic negotiation to resolve the conflict," a European diplomat who closely watches regional issues said on condition of anonymity. The best course of action would have been to officially call in the Cambodian ambassador to Thailand and make a formal protest, he suggested. Then the next step would have been to send an envoy to Phnom Penh to talk directly to Hun Sen. The Cambodian ambassador was withdrawn from Bangkok after Thailand recalled its top diplomat in Phnom Penh. Now, the Thai government has painted itself into a corner by taking what it sees as the moral high ground.
"I think the government and Thai people are exercising patience and restraint," the Thai prime minister told reporters in Bangkok by a videophone call from Tokyo, where he is attending a Mekong regional meeting of Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, hosted by the Japanese government. There were no plans for the two leaders to meet in Tokyo, Thai diplomats said.
Nearly a million Thai tourists visit Cambodia every year and trade across the border is booming. "Any disruption to cross-border trade will severely affect local people living along either side of the border," Ms Anuraj said. "The real losers if the situation gets out of hand will be both the common people in Both Cambodia and Thailand."
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
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Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
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All%20We%20Imagine%20as%20Light
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FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
