Thailand-Cambodia First UNCLOS Meeting in Singapore

MGR Online•General•1d ago

Reader Briefing

Thailand and Cambodia held their first UNCLOS conciliation commission meeting in Singapore to establish a working framework for maritime boundary disputes.

•The first UNCLOS conciliation commission meeting took place from September 14-16, 2026, in Singapore.
•Sihasak Phuangketkeaw, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Thailand, accused Cambodia of distorting facts and playing the victim on international stages.
•Thailand rejected Cambodia's 1972 unilateral continental shelf claim, asserting its own boundaries based on a Royal Command dated May 18, 1973.
•The meeting's primary agenda was to determine the regulations of the conciliation process to serve as a future operational framework.

Overview

•The first meeting of the conciliation commission under UNCLOS between Thailand and Cambodia occurred on September 14-16, 2026.
•The meeting was held in Singapore.
•Sihasak Phuangketkeaw criticized Cambodia for releasing private phone conversations between leaders and for past incidents involving rockets and landmines.
•Sihasak Phuangketkeaw stated that Thailand believes disputes between neighbors should be resolved through dialogue, whereas Cambodia has used international forums for its own benefit.
•Thailand decided to restart negotiations because the MOU over the past 25 years resulted in only two official meetings and no concrete progress.
•Sihasak Phuangketkeaw clarified that the UNCLOS process pertains only to maritime boundaries in the Gulf of Thailand and does not involve land sovereignty or Koh Kood.
•Thailand rejects the continental shelf line claimed unilaterally by Cambodia in 1972, citing a lack of legal basis.
•The commission aims to establish rules for the conciliation process to guide further actions.

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Key Quotes

Sihasak Phuangketkeaw

"At the ASEAN Summit in Cebu earlier this year, leaders of both sides confirmed their commitment to gradually restore relations."

ในการประชุมสุดยอดอาเซียนที่เมืองเซบูเมื่อต้นปีที่ผ่านมา ผู้นำของทั้งสองฝ่ายได้ยืนยันความมุ่งมั่นที่จะฟื้นฟูความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างกันอย่างค่อยเป็นค่อยไป

Sihasak Phuangketkeaw

"Cambodia's claim that it had no other choice is a complete distortion of the facts."

การที่กัมพูชากล่าวอ้างว่า ตนไม่มีทางเลือกอื่นอีกแล้ว จึงเป็นการบิดเบือนข้อเท็จจริงอย่างสิ้นเชิง

Key Entities

Person

Sihasak Phuangketkeaw(สีหศักดิ์ พวงเกตุแก้ว)

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Thailand who attended the first UNCLOS conciliation meeting.

Songchai Chaipatiyut(ทรงชัย ชัยปฏิยุทธ)

Ambassador to Kuwait and member of the Thai delegation.

Organization

Thailand(ไทย)ℹ️

A party to the UNCLOS conciliation process seeking to protect its sovereign rights and maritime boundaries.

Cambodia(กัมพูชา)ℹ️

A party to the UNCLOS conciliation process accused by Thailand of distorting facts and playing the victim.

Hydrographic Department(กรมอุทกศาสตร์)ℹ️

A Thai government department represented in the UNCLOS delegation.

Naval Operations Department(กรมยุทธการทหารเรือ)

A Thai naval department represented in the UNCLOS delegation.

Department of Mineral Fuels(กรมเชื้อเพลิงธรรมชาติ)

A department under the Ministry of Energy represented in the UNCLOS delegation.

Ministry of Energy(กระทรวงพลังงาน)ℹ️

The Thai ministry overseeing the Department of Mineral Fuels.

Place

Singapore(สิงคโปร์)ℹ️

The location where the first UNCLOS conciliation commission meeting was held.

Cebu(เซบู)ℹ️

The city where the ASEAN Summit took place earlier in the year.

Koh Kood(เกาะกูด)ℹ️

An island mentioned as being outside the scope of the UNCLOS maritime boundary process.

Gulf of Thailand(อ่าวไทย)ℹ️

The maritime area where the boundary dispute between Thailand and Cambodia is located.

Law

UNCLOSℹ️

The convention under which the conciliation commission between Thailand and Cambodia was established.

Policy

MOU

A memorandum of understanding that Thailand claims failed to produce concrete progress over 25 years.