Summary of Press Briefing
on the Briefing for the Diplomatic Corps and International Organizations
on the Thailand - Cambodia Border Situation
by the Director-General of the Department of Information / MFA Spokesperson
On 4 August 2025 at 11:30 hrs.
MFA Press Conference Room and MFA FB LIVE / Tik Tok LIVE

• The briefing is organized on a regular basis by the MFA with the objective of clarifying Thailand’s actions and positions regarding border tensions, focusing on developments following the first day of clashes on 24 July 2025 and the ceasefire agreement reached during the Special Meeting held in Putrajaya, Malaysia on 28 July 2025.
• Today’s session was attended by representatives of 75 diplomatic missions, 1 organization (European Union) and 16 international organizations, totaling 122 participants.
• H.E. Mr. Maris Sangiampongsa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, outlined the briefing’s objective of sharing and updating the diplomatic corps and international organizations regarding the current situation and key developments, and clarified Thailand’s positions ahead of the Special Meeting in Putrajaya on 28 July 2025, which led to the ceasefire agreement. He also stressed that current tensions with Cambodia are certainly not in Thailand’s interest, and that it is disappointing that the Cambodian side was the one that started the confrontation first.
• Piyapak Sricharoen, Director-General of the Department of the East Asian Affairs, gave an overview of the sequence of events that led to the current Thai - Cambodian border tensions, from before the initial clash on 28 May 2025 through to present. He also outlined the forthcoming bilateral meetings, namely the General Border Committee (GBC) meeting and the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meeting to be held in the near future. He also reiterated Thailand’s positions and approaches to de-escalating tensions and resolving the situation through peaceful means.
• Pinsuda Jayanama, Director-General of the Department of International Organizations, provided information regarding violations of international law, including international human rights and humanitarian law, and various treaties by the Cambodian side. She also addressed Cambodia’s dissemination of disinformation in international fora, as well as Thailand’s actions to clarify the facts and lodge protests with the relevant multilateral platforms.
• Salient points from the briefing:

1. Thailand is a responsible member of the international community and a principled nation firmly committed to peace and international law. Thailand is determined to foster cordial relations with Cambodia on the basis of good neighborliness. However, it is regrettable that this goodwill has not been reciprocated by Cambodia, who since the beginning of this year, has repeatedly carried out provocative actions against Thailand, initiated the use of force, and violated a number of international obligations.
2. Thailand has clear and verifiable evidence to indicate that Cambodia was the first to initiate hostilities and launched indiscriminate attacks. As a result, civilian infrastructure, such as petrol stations, convenience stores, hospitals and schools, were severely damaged. These attacks also led to the deaths and injuries of civilians, including innocent children, and forced hundreds of thousands of local residents to evacuate to temporary shelters. All these tragic consequences were directly observed by members of the Diplomatic Corps, Defence Attachés, as well as Thai and foreign media during the field visit on 1 August 2025.
3. Thailand’s response is a legitimate exercise of its inherent right to self-defense, in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, in order to protect the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and the safety of its people. Thailand’s military operations were measured and proportionate, fully consistent with international law, and strictly limited to targeting Cambodian military infrastructure; therefore, it does not constitute an act of aggression.
4. Cambodia’s indiscriminate attacks on civilians and public facilities constitute a clear act of aggression and clear violations of international humanitarian law, particularly the First and Fourth Geneva Conventions. These actions also breached various international human rights instruments, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Moreover, Cambodia’s recent use of anti-personnel landmines is a serious violation of the Ottawa Convention, which Thailand condemns in the strongest terms.
5. Thailand rejects Cambodia’s unfounded allegations in all fora, including allegations that Thai Armed Forces invaded and caused damage to the Preah Vihear Temple, as well as the baseless claim regarding the harassment of Cambodian workers in Thailand. In this regard, Thailand has formally submitted letters to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Labor Organization (ILO) to provide a factual account of the situation, denying such accusations.
6. Thailand appreciates Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair, in facilitating the Special Meeting on 28 July 2025 that led to the ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia. Thailand also thanks both the United States and China for their support in this regard. However, it is deeply disappointing that Cambodia still violated the ceasefire on multiple occasions and areas, reflecting Cambodia’s lack of sincerity in its implementation. In this regard, Thailand urges Cambodia to fully and strictly comply with the terms of said agreement.
7. Thailand remains firmly committed to resolving the border situation through peaceful means under existing bilateral mechanisms. Thailand will participate in the upcoming GBC meeting, scheduled for 4 - 7 August 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, with sincerity and in good faith, with the aim of ensuring strict implementation of the ceasefire agreement and establishing a mechanism to observe its compliance. The GBC is a joint mechanism at the Minister of Defense level, with General Natthaphon Narkphanit, Acting Minister of Defense, as Thailand’s Head of Delegation. On the Thai side, three preparatory meetings were held prior to the GBC meeting. Thailand’s GBC Secretariat team already departed to Malaysia on 3 August 2025. They will be participating in secretariat-level meetings until 6 August 2025, before the Extraordinary GBC meeting on 7 August 2025. Malaysia, the United States, and China are invited to participate as observers in the Extraordinary GBC. Those who are interested may follow updates through MFA’s press briefings and via the Facebook page of the Ad-Hoc Centre for the Thailand-Cambodia Border Situation.
8. The next bilateral mechanism to be convened is the JBC meeting, which Thailand will host in September Thailand hopes that the Cambodian side will participate in good faith, looking to move forward with the outstanding boundary issues.
9. Thailand calls on Cambodia to cease the distortion of facts and the dissemination of disinformation, which have almost become a daily practice. The latest disinformation attempt was on the evening of 3 August 2025 regarding the allegation that the Royal Thai Army had ordered the evacuation of the residents of Surin Province within the night in preparation for an attack on Cambodia ahead of the GBC meeting. Such statement is false. This irresponsible conduct hinders efforts to foster a conducive environment for rebuilding mutual trust and confidence. It also risks escalating the issue into tensions between the peoples of both countries, which will undermine efforts to bring back cordial relations everyone desires.

• Thailand reiterates that the information presented by the Thai side is based on verifiable facts, supported by empirical evidence and grounded in scientific principles. Thailand continues to believe that negotiations leading to lasting peace must be based on truth and conducted with sincerity.
• Lastly, amidst information warfare and widespread misinformation and disinformation, the Thai people are called to stand united, to consume information and news with due diligence before dissemination, and to follow reliable news from official sources. Please rest assured that the Thai government will do its utmost to protect Thailand’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as to safeguard the rights and safety of its citizens. This has always been the top priority.