Thailand has urged Cambodia to honour the December 27, 2025 ceasefire agreement, refrain from border provocations and demonstrate goodwill as the two countries seek to improve bilateral relations.
Speaking on September 28 during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, Thai Ambassador Cherdchai Chaivaivid exercised Thailand’s Right of Reply, saying dialogue and diplomacy remained Thailand’s first choice and that Thailand remained fully committed to the ceasefire.
Cherdchai said Thailand wanted to set the record straight on several issues raised by Cambodia and outline a path forward for bilateral relations.
On the issue of internally displaced persons (IDPs), Cherdchai said the 20,000 people referred to by Cambodia as IDPs were Cambodians living in areas where temporary shelters had been established in the 1970s.
He said their failure to return constituted an encroachment on Thai territory.
Cherdchai also pushed back against Cambodia’s claims about the border conflict, saying Cambodia had leaked a private phone call between the two countries’ leaders.
He also said Thai soldiers had been injured by newly planted Cambodian landmines and that Cambodian rockets had killed civilians.
On the maritime boundary issue, Cherdchai said Thailand had preferred to resolve the dispute through direct bilateral dialogue, while Cambodia had pursued compulsory conciliation.
Nevertheless, he said Thailand continued to engage constructively in the process as a confidence-building measure.
Cherdchai said moving forward required Cambodia to demonstrate genuine goodwill in international forums, refrain from border provocations and pursue concrete cooperation in areas of mutual concern.
He called for cooperation on humanitarian demining and combating cross-border crime, including online scams.
“Thailand and Cambodia are neighbours,” Cherdchai said. “We cannot change that geography, but we can choose what kind of neighbours we want to be.”
He said Thailand was ready to turn the page so that the shared border could become a place of prosperity based on mutual trust and peaceful coexistence.
Main photo: Thai Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Cherdchai Chaivaivid
