SEA Games athletes, tourists safe in Bangkok amid Thailand-Cambodia border clashes—PH envoy
Opening ceremony of the 33rd South East Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
Philippine Ambassador to Thailand Millicent Cruz-Paredes assured that Filipino tourists may continue visiting Thailand despite its recent clashes with Cambodia near their shared border.
In a video released by Philippine Olympic Committee-Media Pool on Saturday, Dec. 13, the official said that tourists can still visit Thailand’s capital of Bangkok, provided that they avoid areas near the Thailand-Cambodia border.
“Kung magtuturisa dito sa Thailand, then pumunta lamang doon sa mga lugar na safe. Ang Bangkok, safe (If you are going to visit Thailand, then just go to the safe areas. Bangkok is safe),” she said.
“That’s why we continue to have these SEA Games. In-ensure 'yan ng Thai authorities (Thai authorities ensured that),” she added, referring to the ongoing 2025 Southeast Asian Games that brought in athletes from the region. “They’re welcome to come to Thailand. Huwag lang doon kung saan may labanan (Not just in the areas where there’s conflict).”
The ambassador furthered that Filipino athletes currently in Bangkok are safe.
“I’m sure ang Thai authorities ay gumawa ng measures, ng safety measures to ensure na ligtas ang lahat ng atleta (I’m sure the Thai authorities took measure, safety measures to ensure that all the athletes are safe),” she said.
“Hindi lamang ng Pilipinas kundi lahat ng participants sa SEA Games (Not only Filipinos but all participants of the SEA Games),” the envoy added.
The envoy shared that clashes are confined to six of the seven provinces near the Thailand-Cambodia border, and are far from the SEA Games venues in Bangkok and Chon Buri.
Renewed fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbors has spread along their disputed border on Monday, Dec. 8, the fiercest since a five-day exchange of rockets and heavy artillery in July, when 48 people were killed and 300,000 displaced.
United States President Donald Trump has brokered a ceasefire then but this broke as Thailand said Cambodian forces have been detected inside Thai territory in Trat and military operations were launched to expel them.
For centuries, the neighbors have contested the sovereignty of the 817-kilometer land border.