Tourists evacuated after Thai-Cambodian troops scuffle at Ta Muen Thom

Chaos broke out at Ta Muen Thom Temple in Surin province today, following a brief confrontation between Thai and Cambodian troops.

Tourists were evacuated and a temporary ban has been placed on new visits to the premises.

Witnesses said the situation escalated after a Cambodian berated Thai soldiers stationed there, accusing them of encroaching on Cambodian territory.

The incident drew in more people from both sides, with Cambodians supporting the woman and Thai tourists backing the Thai soldiers, leading to a noisy standoff.

In response, Thai troops stepped in, while Cambodian soldiers ran from their post to help calm the crowd, only to end up engaging in pushing, shoving and verbal attacks.

For safety reasons, tourists were told to leave and move back to the entrance, while no new visitors were allowed to enter the area.

Viral video clips showed tourists running in panic toward the entrance gate.

The situation eventually calmed after Thai troops pushed the Cambodian soldiers back to their post.

Thai Army spokesman Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree said the Thai side is investigating the incident.

Meanwhile, the Khmer Times reported a different version of the chaos, saying the clash began when a group of Thai paramilitary soldiers blocked Cambodian tourists from visiting the temple.

This led to verbal altercations between Cambodian female tourists and the Thai military, prompting Cambodian soldiers stationed at the temple to intervene in order to protect national sovereignty.

The online news outlet claimed that although tensions were high on both sides, Cambodian soldiers did not respond to provocations from the Thai Army.

The situation at Ta Muen Thom has since calmed down after leaders from both sides intervened.