Vietnam has expressed concern over rising tensions along the Thailand-Cambodia border and called on both nations to exercise restraint and avoid the use of force.

Vietnam is concerned about the current escalation of tensions in the border area between Cambodia and Thailand, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang said on July 24.

Caught between the United States and China, Vietnam and Cambodia choose economic pragmatism over political frictions.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Consular Department has advised Vietnamese nationals in Thailand and Cambodia to stay vigilant and strictly follow instructions from local authorities amid complicated security developments along the two countries’ border.

More than 140 Vietnamese nationals were arrested in Cambodia; consular support and identity checks are underway.

As Thailand’s tourist hotspots weather tensions near the Cambodian border, Pattaya remains a magnet for longtime expatriates and short-stay thrill-seekers alike. While some online chatter suggests a growing curiosity about Vietnam and Cambodia as alternatives,

Thailand and Cambodia agreed to cease hostilities without conditions at the residence of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Cambodian authorities and the Vietnamese Embassy in the country on July 16 and 17 handed over 45 citizens, identified by Cambodia as illegal residents, to the Border Guard Station at the Moc Bai International Border Gate in Tay Ninh.

Vietnamese brands have substantially increased their market presence, from biscuits to milk and chocolates to noodles.

Deadly clashes have broken out between Cambodia and Thailand, with concerns the countries could be on the verge of war.