Phumtham signs order to reappoint ad hoc border committee
Phumtham reappoints ad hoc centre to handle Thai-Cambodian border tensions after Paetongtarn’s removal caused the previous order to lapse.
Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has signed an order to reappoint the Ad Hoc Centre for the Thailand-Cambodia Border Situation after the previous order lapsed following Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s removal from office.
Phumtham invokes authority under Article 11
Phumtham exercised his authority as acting prime minister under Article 11 (6) and (9) of the Act on Rules for Public Administration of the State, 1991 (2534 BE), to re-establish the ad hoc centre on Saturday.
The original centre was appointed by Paetongtarn on June 17, after a border clash at Chong Bok Pass in Nam Yuen district, Ubon Ratchathani, on May 29. However, her order lapsed after she was removed from office by the Constitutional Court on Friday, requiring a fresh appointment by the acting prime minister.
Mandate of the ad hoc centre
According to Phumtham’s order, the centre will work to ease border tensions with Cambodia on the principles of good neighbourliness, bilateral dialogue, and peaceful approaches.
The centre is also tasked with disseminating accurate information on the Thai-Cambodian border situation to the public.
Composition of the committee
The ad hoc centre will be headed by the Deputy Defence Minister and include 27 senior officials, among them:
- Secretary-General of the National Security Council (NSC)
- Permanent secretaries from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Defence, Digital Economy and Society, Commerce, and Labour
- Secretary-General of the Internal Security Operations Command
- Secretary-General of the Office of the Council of State
- Secretary-General of the National Intelligence Agency
- Commanders-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, Army, Navy, and Air Force
- Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police
- Directors-General of the Public Relations Department, Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs, Information Department, and East Asia Department
- Government spokesman
- Rear Admiral Surasan Kongsiri, deputy spokesman of the Royal Thai Armed Forces
- Woranat Kongmuang, Deputy NSC Secretary-General
- Representatives from the Foreign Ministry and other relevant agencies
- Assistant to the NSC Secretary-General
- Director-General of the Department of Border Affairs
The order also allows the centre to invite subject-matter experts on a case-by-case basis.
Duties and authority
The ad hoc centre will monitor, analyse, and verify developments along the Thai-Cambodian border, and propose appropriate measures to the NSC, the prime minister, or the Cabinet when necessary.
It is authorised to coordinate operations across agencies and to appoint subcommittees to handle specific missions. Once the situation stabilises, the head of the centre must report to the prime minister so that it can be formally dissolved.
