RESTRICTIONS AT LAOS BORDER CROSSING
Thailand’s military has restricted the movement of all fuel supplies through the Chong Mek border crossing into Laos after receiving intelligence that these were being routed to Cambodian troops, said Thai defence ministry spokesperson Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri.
„Our intention is not to cause impacts on the Lao people or government,“ he said at a press conference.
The Laotian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
The military is also considering limiting the movement of Thai vessels into „high-risk areas“ in Cambodian waters where they could be fired upon, a navy official said, adding that any such measures would not impact shipments from other countries.
A sizeable portion of Cambodia’s refined fuel imports, such as gasoline, gasoil and jet fuel, comes via the sea route, according to multiple trade sources, though an exact percentage of market share could not be confirmed.
Singapore is currently the largest supplier of these fuels to Cambodia, Kpler ship-tracking data showed, with volumes so far this year totalling around 915,000 metric tons.
Volumes from Thailand have fallen to around 30,000 tons this year, from less than 180,000 tons last year, the data showed.
In a statement issued on Friday, Thailand’s energy ministry said there had been no exports of oil to Cambodia after July.
