Thai Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon would be open for talks with his Cambodian counterpart Tea Banh on April 30 to seek an agreement on ceasefire, putting an end to the prolonged clashes between the two countries’ troops at the disputed border areas.

Gen. Prawit would seek a meeting with Gen. Tea Banh upon his return from a visit to China , starting on April 27, Bangkok Post online quoted his secretary as saying on the same day.

The secretary said the visit had long been planed and that the talks would not mean Thailand admitted defeat but the defence minister was firm about solving the problem through bilateral mechanisms, the secretary said.

In the mean time, on April 28, fighting continued for a seventh straight day between Cambodian and Thai forces at a border area at the two temples of Ta Moan Thom and Ta Krabek.

Fire exchanges began at 03h50’ and the fighting subsided shortly after 8:30 am on April 28, according to Suos Sothea, deputy commander of Cambodian artillery unit.

The fighting, which first broke out on April 22, forced some 27,000 Thais and 23,000 Cambodians living along the border near clash zone to be evacuated. Be the end of April 27 eight Cambodian soldiers and five Thai army men and one civilian were killed during the clashes./.