The Thai military has stopped fuel shipments passing through border checkpoints to Laos following concerns that the supplies will be diverted to Cambodia, as the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia escalates.
Tensions erupted when Thai and Cambodian troops were reported to have clashed at several locations along the 817-kilometer land border.
The fighting is seen to be continuing with no signs of abating, despite international efforts to reach a ceasefire, including a call from US President Donald Trump.
In a related development, a special meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers scheduled for today has been postponed to December 22 at Thailand's request. The matter was announced by the Malaysian Foreign Ministry in an official statement.
The fuel blockade involved the Chong Mek border crossing into Laos, after Thai authorities received information that the supplies were being channeled to the Cambodian military.
The measure was taken as part of security controls following the ongoing conflict.
In addition to the land blockade, the Thai military is also considering restricting the movement of Thai ships to high-risk waters near Cambodia, to avoid any security threats.
However, the move is not expected to affect fuel shipments from other countries.
The bulk of Cambodia's refined fuel imports, including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, are still sourced via sea routes.
However, the exact percentage contribution of each route cannot be fully confirmed based on trade sources.
Ship tracking data from Kpler shows that Singapore has now emerged as the largest supplier of fuel to Cambodia, with total shipments of around 915,000 metric tons so far this year.
In contrast, fuel exports from Thailand to Cambodia have fallen significantly to around 30,000 tons this year, compared to almost 180,000 tons last year.
Thailand's Ministry of Energy also confirmed that no oil exports to Cambodia have been recorded after July.
