Summary of the Press Briefing
on Latest Developments of the Thailand - Cambodia border situation

by the Director-General of the Department of Information and MFA Spokesperson

on 23 December 2025 at 11:30 hrs.

MFA Press Conference Room and MFA FB LIVE / TikTok LIVE

• On 22 December 2025, H.E. Mr. Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Minister of Foreign Affairs, participated in the Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on the situation between Thailand and Cambodia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The meeting was chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, in his capacity as ASEAN Chair.
• The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the Thailand - Cambodia border situation, and ASEAN members shared their views and concerns about the ongoing clashes and expressed their readiness to support any steps toward a de-escalation of current tensions. Following the meeting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued Thailand’s statement on this issue, while Malaysia, as the ASEAN Chair and co-chair of the meeting, also issued its own Chair’s Statement.
• Thailand appreciates Malaysia for hosting this Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, in which Thailand demonstrated its readiness to participate from the outset, recognizing that ASEAN can play a constructive role in this matter based on facts. From Thailand’s viewpoint, the discussions on any situation in this region, including this one, were well conducted within this region, as they should be. This reflects ASEAN Centrality.
• Thailand also thanks fellow ASEAN Members for their goodwill, constructive engagement, and strong desire for Thailand and Cambodia to return to dialogue and to take steps toward the cessation of all forms of hostilities.

• The meeting yesterday was an important opportunity where Thailand raised three key messages as follows:

1. Thailand provided ASEAN Member States with facts on the ground, recalling its longstanding goodwill and its desire to maintain good relations with Cambodia, a close neighbor. Since the period of Cambodia’s civil war, Thailand has supported efforts to restore peace within Cambodia, including by opening its border to provide shelter for those displaced by the conflict. Following the restoration of peace, Thailand has continued to support Cambodia’s economic and social rehabilitation through assistance in the construction of schools, hospitals, roads, and various public utilities. Therefore, Thailand has never had any desire to be in any conflict with Cambodia.
2. Since the incidents between Thailand and Cambodia occurred in mid-2025, Thailand has sought to resolve the issue through bilateral mechanisms. However, Cambodia has attempted to internationalize the matter instead of working together to resolve the issue bilaterally. Cambodia is aware of this; a sustainable solution can only be achieved through direct engagement between the parties concerned, namely Thailand and Cambodia. There have also been efforts to undermine Thailand’s stability through actions by Cambodian leaders. These developments have severely affected mutual trust, a crucial element for any joint efforts toward resolution.

Thailand, thus, reaffirmed to the meeting that it has consistently complied with agreements under bilateral frameworks, including the ceasefire arrangement and the Joint Declaration. Thailand has repeatedly emphasized that the Joint Declaration is a pathway to peace, but its effectiveness depends on its implementation. All provisions in the Joint Declaration are equally important.

All along, Thailand has exercised utmost restraint. Thailand, however, noted that Cambodia has violated its obligations under these bilateral agreements and international law, particularly international humanitarian law, on numerous occasions. The repeated breaches of the Joint Declaration, especially the landmine incidents, cannot be ignored. Up to now, Thailand has still not received any clear response or explanation from the Cambodian side. And most recently, on 21 December 2025, a Thai marine became the eighth casualty to lose a leg as a result of newly planted landmines by the Cambodian side. In this regard, Thailand has issued a statement strongly condemning Cambodia’s use of anti-personnel landmines and has formally lodged a protest with Cambodia. Thailand is also submitting a letter to Zambia, in its capacity as President of the 23rd Meeting of the States Parties to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (the Ottawa Convention), to initiate additional action under the Convention’s mechanisms, as well as a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations regarding Cambodia’s violations of the Convention.

3. At this meeting, Thailand set out its clear position, in particular the three key conditions necessary for discussions on de-escalation of tensions, namely: (1) Cambodia must be the party to declare a ceasefire first; (2) the ceasefire by Cambodia must be genuine and sustained, with verification by the military based on actual conditions on the ground; and (3) Cambodia must demonstrate sincerity in cooperating with Thailand on humanitarian demining. It must be observed that Cambodia has spoken of the ceasefire with all parties, yet has never engaged Thailand on this matter. This raised the question of whether Cambodia is genuinely serious and sincere about the ceasefire.

However, Thailand and Cambodia agreed at the meeting, according to Thailand’s proposal, that a ceasefire can only be achieved through joint discussions. Going forward, the militaries of both sides will hold discussions on the resumption of the ceasefire and cessation of hostilities. Both sides agreed to convene the General Border Committee (GBC) on 24 December 2025, for which Thailand proposed to host in a Thai border province. This GBC meeting will enable the militaries of both sides to discuss implementation, related steps and verification of the ceasefire by the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) in detail. The militaries of both sides will continue to coordinate on the arrangement of this meeting. This is consistent with Thailand’s position, which emphasizes that a ceasefire cannot result from a unilateral declaration. It must come with the political will of both sides and be based on an assessment of the situation on the ground and detailed discussions by the military. This is to ensure that discussions leading to a sustainable ceasefire reflect the realities on the ground.

• Thailand will engage in discussions with Cambodia, with due regard to the national interest, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Thailand, and the safety of the Thai people.
• Thailand continues to desire peace since. However, sustainable peace must come with security and safety of the Thai people. Thailand hopes to see Cambodia’s sincerity reflected in concrete actions in pursuit of genuine and lasting peace, not merely peace on paper.

Watch the full session at: https://fb.watch/E9YlZ_g0ev/