​​​​​​​ISTANBUL

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said Saturday that border disputes "must be resolved with patience," after a Cambodian soldier was killed in an altercation along the border earlier this week, according to state-run AKP News.

"Border issues are complex and must be resolved with patience, persistence, and through legal and diplomatic channels," said Hun Manet.

Manet said border disputes should only be taken to international courts as a last resort, as he spoke to Cambodians in Tokyo, which he has been visiting since Wednesday.

"Once it reaches the court, negotiations will no longer be possible," he said.

Thailand is planning to close its six permanent and 10 temporary checkpoints at the border with Cambodia, according to broadcaster Thai PBS.

The closure is to protect people and businesses along the border, as well as reduce the possibility of another altercation between the two countries, it said, citing a security source.

Cambodia's former Premier and current Senate President, Hun Sen, urged Phnom Penh and Bangkok to bring internationally recognized maps of the "Emerald Triangle" to the International Court of Justice at The Hague to end the dispute on the territory’s ownership.

The deadly altercation occurred Wednesday at the "Emerald Triangle."