Thailand Seeks More Talks With Cambodia as Border Row Lingers
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Monday she's proposed to Cambodian leader Hun Manet that more military level talks be convened to find ways to ease the border tension.
A meeting of Thai and Cambodian officials over the weekend did not discuss the dispute, with the two sides struggling to arrive at any decision on how to resolve their differences. The so-called Joint Boundary Commission will next meet in September, Thailand's Foreign Ministry said Sunday.
Tensions between the two Southeast Asian nations heightened following an exchange of gunfire between troops on May 28 in the disputed Chong Bok border area, resulting in the death of a Cambodian soldier. Both countries have built-up troops along the border and shortened the operational hours of several land crossings that act as vital trade links.
Cambodia has requested the International Court of Justice in The Hague intervene to resolve the border disputes it has with Thailand. Bangkok has said it does not recognize the organization's jurisdiction.
On Monday, former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen called for a complete shutdown of the border crossings and suspension of Thai goods imports if Bangkok didn't fully lift the restrictions of cross-border movements. Hun Sen, who is Hun Manet's father, has taken to social media to attack Thailand's stance even as bilateral talks were underway.
Last week, Hun Manet reportedly instructed officials to cut Internet and electricity connections with Thailand.
The two countries have a history of clashes over land disputes but have largely maintained cordial relations since a deadly conflict in 2011 left dozens dead.
Paetongtarn, who chaired a meeting of senior Thai ministers and military officials on Monday, slammed Cambodia for 'unprofessional communications,' saying such messaging via social media, have caused 'chaos' and negatively impacted both countries. The meeting agreed to set up a panel headed by the deputy minister of defense to monitor the border situation, she told reporters.
The Thai premier said cross-border curbs were necessitated by the presence of long-range weapons on the Cambodian side. Phnom Penh's threat to shut the borders will affect people from both countries, she added.
Paetongtarn urged Thais to stand behind the government and the military, which she said are in complete agreement regarding strategy and communicate regularly.
'We're not fighting among ourselves. We're protecting our sovereignty and our messages show that we're united,' she said. 'We will not tolerate being bullied, accused or threatened. We're a nation with pride and strength.'
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Thai veteran politician Suriya Jungrungreangkit set for single day as acting PM
Thailand's acting Prime Minister is set to helm the country for only one full day on Wednesday (July 2, 2025), standing in for suspended premier Paetongtarn Shinawatra before being replaced himself in a cabinet reshuffle. Transport Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit began his engagements by attending a ceremony in Bangkok celebrating the longevity of the Prime Minister's office. The event marked the 93rd anniversary of an institution Mr. Suriya is set to command for far fewer than 93 hours as Thailand reels from the suspension of Ms. Paetongtarn, heiress of the country's dominant political dynasty. During a brief ceremony open to the media, Mr. Suriya declined to respond to queries asking how he felt about his ephemeral leadership, which caps a decades-long political career. He said his most urgent business had been to 'sign a paper' ensuring a smooth transition to his successor on Thursday (July 3, 2025). The Constitutional Court said Tuesday (July 1, 2025) there was 'sufficient cause to suspect' Ms. Paetongtarn breached ministerial ethics in a diplomatic spat with Cambodia, suspending her pending a probe that may last months. I don't know the guy The 38-year-old Ms. Paetongtarn is the daughter of political heavyweight Thaksin Shinawatra, whose family and party have been jousting with Thailand's conservative establishment since the early 2000s. Power immediately passed to 70-year-old Mr. Suriya, a veteran operator with a reputation in Thai media as a political weathervane for always aligning himself with the government of the day. 'I don't really know the guy, but I don't care anymore who becomes Prime Minister,' 54-year-old motorbike taxi driver Paitoon Kaewdee told AFP. 'I've lost hope in Thai politics. I used to care a lot about politics and the Shinawatra family but now, it's all the same.' Mr. Suriya's time as acting premier is due to end with a cabinet reshuffle already scheduled before Tuesday's (July 1, 2025) court bombshell. It takes effect in an oath-swearing ceremony scheduled on Thursday (July 3, 2025), when he is set to be superseded by incoming Interior Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. The ruling Pheu Thai party said late Tuesday (July 1, 2025) that Mr. Phumtham will take over after the cabinet reshuffle because he will receive a Deputy Prime Minister title that is higher in the order of succession than Mr. Suriya. The 'power vacuum at the top' may threaten Thailand's bid for a U.S. trade deal to avert President Donald Trump's threat of a 36% tariff, said Capital Economics senior Asia economist Gareth Leather. 'I want a new election,' complained 40-year-old Bangkok office worker Chatchai Summabut. 'This country needs stability.' Waning influence Ms. Paetongtarn — who became Prime Minister only last August — assigned herself the Culture Minister position in the new cabinet before she was suspended, meaning she is set to keep a perch in the upper echelons of power. She, Mr. Suriya and Mr. Phumtham are all members of Pheu Thai, which came second in the 2023 election but secured power by forming an unsteady coalition with its former enemies in pro-military parties. But analysts say Ms. Paetongtarn's pause from office represents a dramatic waning of the Shinawatras' influence, even though the acting Prime Ministers are still considered their loyal lieutenants. Tuesday (July 1, 2025) also saw the second day of Mr. Thaksin's criminal trial for royal defamation, in which he faces a possible 15-year sentence if convicted. Ms. Paetongtarn has been hobbled over a longstanding territorial dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, which boiled over into cross-border clashes in May, killing one Cambodian soldier. When she made a diplomatic call to Cambodian ex-leader Hun Sen she called him 'uncle' and referred to a Thai military commander as her 'opponent', according to a leaked recording causing widespread backlash. A conservative party abandoned her ruling coalition — sparking the cabinet reshuffle — while her approval rating plunged and thousands mustered to protest over the weekend. Conservative lawmakers accused her of kowtowing to Cambodia and undermining the military, entering a case with the Constitutional Court alleging she breached the constitution's ministerial ethics code.
Deccan Herald
an hour ago
- Deccan Herald
China confirms President Xi will miss BRICS summit, Premier Li to attend
Li will attend the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 5 to 8 upon invitation, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing.
Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
Ukraine looks to jointly produce weapons with allies, while US halts some shipments
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine is forging ahead with embryonic plans for joint weapons production with some of its international allies, top officials said, while the U.S. announced it was halting some arms shipments promised to help Ukraine fight off Russia. Those plans come at what appears to be a key point in the all-out war launched by Moscow nearly 3½ years ago. A renewed Russian push to capture more Ukrainian land has put Ukraine's short-handed defenses under severe strain, and Russian missiles and drones are battering Ukrainian cities. U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to find a peace settlement, meanwhile, have stalled. As Washington has distanced itself under U.S. President Donald Trump from Ukraine's war efforts, a bigger onus has fallen on European countries to pressure Russia. French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday held their first direct telephone call in almost three years. Macron's office said that during their two-hour conversation, the French leader underlined France's 'unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity' and called for a ceasefire. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that officials are preparing with a sense of urgency for upcoming meetings with European Union countries and other partners to talk about cooperation in weapons manufacturing. 'One of the key topics will be weapons production – our joint investments, joint projects,' Zelenskyy said in his daily address on Tuesday evening. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced that draft legislation on joint weapons production with international allies is expected to be put to a vote in the Ukrainian parliament later this month. The proposed laws were shown to national defense companies on Tuesday, Umerov said. The program includes plans to create a special legal and tax framework to help Ukrainian defense manufacturers scale up and modernize production, including building new facilities at home and abroad, according to Umerov. Earlier this week, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said during a visit to Kyiv that Germany aims to help Ukraine manufacture more weapons more quickly. He was accompanied on the trip by German defense industry representatives. The U.S. is halting some weapons deliveries to Ukraine out of concern that its own stockpiles have declined too far, officials said Tuesday. Certain munitions were longer-term commitments promised to Ukraine under the Biden administration, though the Defense Department didn't provide details on what specific weapons were being held back. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry summoned the U.S. chargé d'affaires, John Hinkel, on Wednesday to discuss ongoing defense cooperation. Deputy Foreign Minister Maryana Betsa thanked the U.S. for its continued support, but emphasized the 'critical importance' of maintaining previously allocated defense packages, especially for bolstering Ukraine's air defense. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Pentagon's decision will help bring a settlement closer, because "the fewer weapons supplied to Ukraine, the closer the end of the is.' The United States has been Ukraine's biggest military backer since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbor on Feb. 24, 2022. Under Trump, there have been no new announcements of U.S. military or weapons aid to Ukraine. Between March and April, the United States allocated no new aid to Ukraine, according to Germany's Kiel Institute, which tracks such support. For the first time since June 2022, European countries surpassed the U.S. in total military aid, totaling 72 billion euros compared with 65 billion euros from the U.S., the institute said last month. Washington's latest decision could remove some of the most formidable weapons in Ukraine's battlefield arsenal. Analysts say Ukraine's European allies can fill some of the gaps and provide artillery systems. But they don't possess alternatives to the U.S.-made HIMARS missiles and air defense systems, especially Patriots, which are crucial to help defend Ukrainian cities from Russian air attacks. It's not clear how much weaponry Ukraine possesses or what its most urgent needs are. Follow 's coverage of the war in Ukraine at /hub/russia-ukraine This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
