BANGKOK: Thailand has recalled its ambassador to Cambodia and will expel Cambodia`s ambassador, the ruling Pheu Thai Party said on Wednesday following a landmine incident that injured a Thai soldier along the disputed border between the two countries.

The Thai Foreign Ministry has lodged a formal protest with Cambodia, saying the landmines found in the area were newly deployed and had not been encountered during previous patrols, the party said on social media.

Thailand has downgraded diplomatic relations with Cambodia, it said.

Cambodia`s government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Thailand`s foreign ministry said it had yet to be informed of the decision to recall the Thai envoy and the plan to expel Cambodia`s ambassador.

The government has also ordered the closure of all border checkpoints under the jurisdiction of Thailand`s Second Army, the Pheu Thai Party said. `Tourists are strictly prohibited from entering these border areas,` it said-Reuters