A smouldering border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand again flared in late December 2010, when Cambodia detained seven Thais, including a Thai member of parliament for the governing Democrat Party, Panich Wikitsreth, and Veera Somkwamkid, a leader of the Thailand Patriot Network (an offshoot of the royalist-nationalist yellow-shirted protest movement, the People's Alliance for Democracy, or PAD). A Cambodian military unit stationed at the border detained the seven Thais for illegally entering Cambodian territory in the north-western province of Banteay Meanchey. They were transferred to the notorious Prey Sar jail in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. The new row represents a setback. The two neighbours had pulled soldiers out from the disputed territory surrounding the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple on December 1st in a bid to ease border tensions, in a move that signalled the gradual winding down of a tense stand-off that has claimed lives on both sides.

On December 30th the Phnom Penh Municipal Court charged the Thais with illegal entry and trespassing on a military base along the border, crimes carrying potential prison terms of six months and one year respectively. On the same day Thailand's prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, insisted that the seven had "meant no harm", while Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs sought bail for them. Abhisit said during his weekly television broadcast that the group had not intentionally trespassed on Cambodian territory. However, on January 10th Cambodia' prime minister, Hun Sen, warned that no one would be allowed to intervene in the case. His remarks followed rumours that a former Thai prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, might try to mediate. On January 13th two of the Thais, including Panich, were allowed bail for "health reasons". A bail hearing on January 18th resulted in the release of four more of the detainees, although Veera remained in detention. He faces an additional espionage charge for attempting to gather information that could jeopardise national defence, an offence punishable by up to ten years in jail.