Thailand engages multiple parties ahead of ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Dec 22

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Thailand is ready to participate in the special ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting on December 22 in Kuala Lumpur. This will be a platform to clarify Thailand's stance on the ongoing Thailand-Cambodia border situation.

Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow has emphasized that Thailand is open to discussions within the ASEAN framework and believes ASEAN mechanisms can play a constructive role based on facts.

Thailand aims to present three key points at the meeting:

1. Cambodia must declare a ceasefire first.
2. The ceasefire must be real and continuous, with monitoring in place.
3. Cambodia must cooperate with Thailand in demining operations.

So far, no conditions have been met.

Regarding the phone call between Minister Sihasak and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the Ministry clarified that Minister Sihasak has been in talks with several parties, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the European Union, conveying the same message. While China expressed a desire for peace at the Thailand-Cambodia border as a neighboring country, Minister Sihasak reiterated that peace must be based on the three aforementioned conditions.

Furthermore, Minister Sihasak emphasized the need for military discussions between both sides before any peace talks could begin, reaffirming that Thailand does not want any conflict, even for a single day. China also expressed its readiness to support negotiations if needed.

Before the press briefing, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Minister Sihasak had also spoken with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the Thailand-Cambodia border situation, continuing their previous discussions on December 11. Both sides discussed the latest developments and Thailand’s approach, with the U.S. expressing support for Thailand’s participation in the upcoming ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting.