The two are part of a group of seven Thai nationals -- including lawmaker Panich Vikitsreth of the ruling Democrat Party -- who were arrested in Cambodia on December 29 on charges of illegal entry and trespassing on a military area.
Veera Somkwamkid -- a former leader of the "Yellow Shirt" movement -- and his secretary have also been charged with gathering information that could affect national defence, a serious offence punishable by up to 10 years in jail.
The two other counts carry a possible sentence of up to 18 months in prison.
"We called them to the court to be questioned regarding the additional charge," judge Ke Sakhan, deputy director of Phnom Penh Municipal Court, told AFP after the pair`s brief court appearance.
All seven Thais are being held at a prison in the capital. The court is expected to respond to a bail request by the end of the week.
"No trial date has been set so far because we are in the process of getting testimonies from witnesses," said Ke Sakhan.
Thai officials have acknowledged that the seven were on Cambodian territory when arrested.
Despite appeals from Thailand, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has refused to intervene in the case, saying the matter was in the hands of the court.
Cambodia and Thailand have long been at odds over their border, which is not fully demarcated, partly because it is littered with landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia.
The current crisis threatens to reverse a recent thaw in relations between Hun Sen and his Thai counterpart Abhisit Vejjajiva following a series of meetings on the sidelines of international and regional summits late last year.
The Yellow Shirts, who claim allegiance to the throne, are powerful players in Thailand`s colour-coded politics.
They seized two Bangkok airports in late 2008, leaving more than 300,000 travellers stranded.
They are backed by the Bangkok-based elite and are the arch-rivals of the mostly poor and working class "Red Shirts", who held a mass rally in Bangkok in April and May of last year that erupted in violence. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
