The Army refutes claims that Cambodia imports oil from Thailand indirectly through Laos, pointing out mistranslations in a video clip. It stresses that the Suranaree Task Force continues to strictly controlstandardsfor fuel transportation and has found no evidence of smuggling to Cambodia.
On 19 March 2026, the Army clarified the facts regarding reports in public media alleging that Cambodia imports oil from Thailand via a detour through Laos. The claim was based on a video interview excerpt with Mr. Sao Sophutra, governor of Stung Treng province, Cambodia.
Major General Winthai Suwaree, Army spokesperson, explained that first, the Army confirms that measures controlling oil exports to Laos through permanent border checkpoints under the Suranaree Task Force remain at standard levels. They rigorously inspect and monitor fuel transport in cooperation with all sectors, including Laotian authorities. So far, no evidence of illicit oil sales to Cambodia has been found.
Second, upon reviewing the interview clip of Mr. Sao Sophutra and media reports from Cambodia on this matter, it was found that the publicly released clip included mistranslations into Thai, especially regarding the issue of fuel imports from Thailand. This led to misinformation being presented later.
The accurate translation states: "...It is acknowledged that while we have issues with Thailand, certain Thai goods have crossed the border from Laos into Cambodia. This does occur because we cannot block these goods from entering Cambodia, nor can the Cambodian government issue an official ban on their import, as Cambodia is a member of the World Trade Organization. Therefore, Cambodia cannot refuse goods from WTO member countries because doing so would invite pressure..."
The Army spokesperson added that some information should be carefully considered before publication and viewing, as fake news or distorted data from unclear sources continue to appear. The Army urges the public to rely primarily on official government channels to receive accurate and clear information.
Thanks to information from the Army's Facebook page.