Thai soldiers briefly opened a border checkpoint to allow Cambodian schoolchildren to cross amid an escalating border conflict.

Footage shows officers opening a gate and saluting the youngsters who were wearing pink uniforms in Trat province on June 24.

The polite kids greeted the troops before walking to class.

Dozens of shops in the province which rely on trade from workers continually passing through have shut down amid a sharp decline after the Thai military sealed the border.

The usually bustling Trat-Khlong Yai route was eerily empty as cross-border travel was banned to tourists and traders alike.

A resident said: 'If the border has to be closed, we have to accept it. We have to put the security of Thailand first. Talks about the border trade can be discussed later.'

The border closures followed a series of retaliatory bans enforced by both sides in recent weeks. Cambodia has banned fuel, gas, and agricultural imports, as well as cut internet bandwidth from Thailand.

Thailand has responded by imposing stricter border controls, blocking almost all travellers from crossing into Cambodia and stifling its neighbour's lucrative border casinos. Only students and emergency patiets were allowed to pass the border.

Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia escalated after a clash between troops from both countries in a disputed area in Nam Yuen district, Ubon Ratchathani, on May 28, resulting in the death of a Cambodian sergeant.

Thailand expressed its intention to resolve the dispute through existing bilateral mechanisms.

However, Cambodia vowed to take the case before the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

Former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and current Prime Minister Hun Manet claimed that the disputed area belongs to Cambodia.

But Thailand maintained that the area is a no-man's land within an un-demarcated zone.