AKP | Phnom Penh, July 15, 2025 — The Ministry of National Defence has officially clarified the verbal confrontation that occurred on July 15 at Ta Mone Thom Temple between a Cambodian tourist and a Thai soldier.
According to the ministry’s Undersecretary of State and Spokesperson Lieutenant General Maly Socheata, the incident was sparked by inappropriate behaviour from a Thai soldier stationed at the temple’s entrance, which upset a Cambodian woman visiting the site, resulting in a heated verbal exchange.
She explained that the Thai soldier subsequently barred the Cambodian tourist from entering the temple, which escalated tensions and made Cambodian and Thai soldiers present at the temple quickly gather at the scene; however, none were armed, and no physical violence occurred.
Commanders from both sides swiftly convened to defuse the situation, and through peaceful dialogue, they restored calm and resumed normal access for visitors.
Lieutenant General Maly Socheata urged all tourists to uphold the values of patience, tolerance, dignity, and mutual respect when visiting the temple to preserve peace, stability, and the spirit of good neighbourliness between the two nations.
By C. Nika
