Thailand unfazed by Cambodia's UNCLOS action, says PM

Thailand will not be put at a disadvantage by Cambodia's decision to seek United Nations involvement in a long-running maritime boundary dispute between the two countries, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said today.

Responding to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet's announcement that his government has initiated a compulsory conciliation process under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Anutin said Thailand remains firmly committed to its principles and has taken no action that would undermine the country's interests.

"Thailand still stands by its principles and there is nothing that puts the country at a disadvantage," he said.

Cambodia announced earlier today that it had informed both Thailand and the UN Secretary-General that it was launching a compulsory conciliation process under international law aimed at resolving overlapping maritime claims in the Gulf of Thailand.

The move came after Thailand unilaterally terminated the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding, known as MOU 44, last month. The agreement had provided a framework for bilateral negotiations over the disputed area.

Anutin said he has not yet received formal details of Cambodia's latest notification, but noted that Thai authorities had already informed Cambodian leaders of the decision to terminate MOU 44 during the ASEAN Summit in the Philippines.

According to the prime minister, Cambodian leaders acknowledged Thailand's position and expressed disappointment, while indicating that they would pursue the matter through UNCLOS, although no timetable was specified.

Asked whether Cambodia's international actions differed from its public stance toward Thailand, Anutin dismissed the suggestion.

"I don't see it that way. To me, it is all the same," he replied.

The prime minister also rejected suggestions that Thailand needs to adjust its diplomatic strategy in response to Cambodia's efforts to internationalise the dispute.

"Why do we need to change our game?" he said.