Bangkok (VNA) - Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow has said that his country is not yet ready to attend the meeting of the Thailand–Cambodia Joint Border Committee (JBC), scheduled for April 17–25, as it has yet to complete necessary internal procedures.
Sihasak was responding to Cambodia’s invitation for Thailand to attend a meeting of the JBC. He said Thailand had already informed Cambodia that the Thai side must first go through domestic procedures, including approval for the reconstitution of its JBC team because the Thai membership needs to be changed.
He said the work of the commission is highly technical and the chair should be someone with real expertise in international law and boundary issues, alongside representatives from the key agencies involved.
When asked about Cambodia’s push for the talks to proceed quickly, Sihasak said Phnom Penh was free to press for speed, but Thailand’s own procedures had to be completed first. He also said he may have a chance to meet Cambodia’s foreign minister on the sidelines of the ASEAN leaders’ summit in early May, when the issue could be discussed further.
In a social media post, Prime Minister Hun Manet said Cambodia remained ready to move forward and urged Thailand to follow through on the agreement. He also said both sides should act with sincerity in order to build a foundation for long-term peace, signalling Cambodia’s desire to keep the issue on a diplomatic track.
Hun Manet stressed that priority should be given to border areas where civilians live, saying demarcation work in those locations was essential to ensure safety and allow residents to return to normal life and livelihoods.
Cambodia and Thailand agreed to an immediate ceasefire on December 27, 2025, following three weeks of armed clashes that resulted in casualties on both sides.
In late January, the secretariat of the Cambodia–Thailand Regional Border Committee (RBC) held a three-day meeting, but failed to reach consensus./.
