Army denies claims Cambodia used Laos route to buy Thai fuel

The Royal Thai Army has rejected reports claiming that Cambodia imported fuel from Thailand via a route through Laos, saying no illicit exports or smuggling have been detected and that controls remain strict along the border.

The clarification followed reports citing part of an interview with Sor Soputra, governor of Stung Treng province in Cambodia, which suggested that Cambodian imports of Thai fuel were being routed through the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

On March 19, 2026, Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree, spokesman for the Royal Thai Army, said measures to control fuel exports to Laos through permanent border crossings along areas under the responsibility of the Suranaree Task Force remained firmly in place.

He said the task force continued to maintain standard inspection and control measures for fuel transportation in close coordination with all relevant agencies, including the Lao authorities, and that no cases of fuel being illicitly sold on to Cambodia had been found.

Maj Gen Winthai added that checks on the interview clip featuring Sor Soputra and on reports published by Cambodian media found that the Thai translation circulated in public had been inaccurate, particularly in relation to fuel imports from Thailand.

He said the mistranslation had led to later reports that did not reflect the actual facts.

According to the Army spokesman, the correct translation was: “It is acknowledged that while we have problems with Thailand, some Thai goods have crossed from Laos into Cambodia, and this is true, because we cannot block those goods from entering Cambodia. The Cambodian government also cannot issue an official order banning such imports because Cambodia is a member of the World Trade Organization. Therefore, Cambodia cannot reject goods from countries that are WTO members, otherwise it would face pressure.”

He further said some information should be carefully considered before being published or shared, as fake news or distorted information from unclear sources continued to circulate.

The Army spokesman urged the public to follow updates primarily through official government channels in order to obtain clear and accurate information.