BANGKOK: Thailand’s navy says a special Thai-Cambodian Regional Border Committee meeting in Trat ended without agreement after Cambodia proposed boundary-related issues outside the scope of the Dec 27 GBC joint statement.
Rear Admiral Parat Rattanachaiphan, spokesperson for the Royal Thai Navy, said on Wednesday (Feb 4) that the first special meeting of the Thai-Cambodian Special Regional Border Committee (RBC) had ended on the afternoon of Feb 4 without a joint conclusion.
The meeting, between the Chanthaburi-Trat Border Defence Command and Cambodia’s Military Region 3, was held at the permanent Ban Hat Lek border checkpoint in Trat province from Feb 3-5. Parat said the talks were convened under the framework of the joint statement from the 3rd special session of the Thailand-Cambodia General Border Committee (GBC) on Dec 27, 2025.
He said the aim was to maintain communication channels, reduce tensions on the ground and uphold a sustainable ceasefire, to ensure order and public safety along the border. An Asean Observer Team (AOT) from both sides attended as observers, he added.
However, during discussions, the Cambodian side proposed certain approaches and issues that reflected intentions related to border demarcation.
Thailand stated that these proposals fell outside the RBC’s objectives and were inconsistent with the substance of the Dec 27 GBC joint statement, making consensus impossible on those points.
Parat said the Thai side had engaged in the discussions in good faith, shown flexibility within existing agreements and put forward constructive options to move the meeting towards a shared outcome.
Thailand, he added, remained committed to peaceful resolution, respect for agreements already reached, and prioritising the interests of people on both sides of the border. But since no joint conclusion could be reached within the agreed framework, the meeting could not continue.
He said Thailand would maintain its position of adhering to existing agreements and bilateral mechanisms, while remaining open to future discussions with Cambodia—on the condition that the joint statement is strictly respected and implemented, in the best interests of peace, stability and security along the border of both countries. - The Nation/ANN
