Military officers from Thailand and Cambodia began talks on Wednesday in Chanthaburi province, amid hopes that the defence ministers of the two countries would join them on Saturday to put the finishing touches on a ceasefire agreement.
The talks began as scheduled at the Ban Laem border checkpoint in Chanthaburi province, the two countries confirmed. They come two days after Asean foreign ministers met in Kuala Lumpur in efforts to salvage a truce first brokered by Malaysia and US President Donald Trump after a previous round of clashes in July.
Rear Adm Surasant Kongsiri, spokesman for the Thai Ministry of Defence, said the meeting of the General Border Committee (GBC) was scheduled to last four days and could pave the way for an agreement.
“If the secretariat meeting goes smoothly and leads to an agreement, then there will be a meeting between the defence ministers of the two countries on Dec 27,” he told reporters.
But he said its success would depend on the Cambodian side’s sincerity, in words and actions. Bangkok has previously demanded that Phnom Penh announce a truce first and cooperate in demining efforts at the border.
Cambodian defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata said the talks began at 4.30pm, led by generals from both sides.
She said the parties were seeking to “ensure the cessation of hostilities”, restore stability and “facilitate a swift return to normalcy”.
A letter to the Thai defence ministry, dated Monday from Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Seiha, appears to take a conciliatory tone, though it does not expressly request a ceasefire negotiation.
However, it does say that Cambodia supports “peaceful settlement of disputes by immediately and fully resuming full implementation of the Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration of Oct 26, 2025”.
In any case, Thailand remains adamant that Phnom Penh must be the first to publicly announce a ceasefire before negotiations can move forward.
The GBC meeting is the most significant step since fighting re-erupted earlier this month and follows separate, unsuccessful efforts by Malaysia, China and the United States to bring the two countries to the table. (Story continues below)
Members of the Cambodian delegation cross into Thailand at the Ban Laem border checkpoint in Chanthaburi province to take part in a meting of the General Border Committee (GBC) on Wednesday.
Key issues
The Thai military said earlier that it plans to raise the following issues in the talks:
- The use of anti-personnel landmines
- The use of historical sites as military positions
- The firing of heavy weapons from civilian communities
- The use of civilian buildings as military positions or weapons storage facilities.
Both sides have denied targeting civilians, claiming they are only attacking military targets.
Cambodia and Thailand have each accused the other of aggression and violations of an enhanced ceasefire reached in October in Malaysia in Trump’s presence, during which they committed to demining and withdrawing troops and heavy weapons from areas over which sovereignty has been contested bitterly for decades.
Cambodia’s defence ministry on Wednesday accused Thailand of using fighter jets to drop bombs in its border province of Banteay Meanchey, describing the actions as “brutal” and indiscriminate.
Thailand, on the other hand, said its neighbour continued to fire heavy weapons into civilian areas in Sa Kaeo province, prompting Thai troops to retaliate in line with international conventions.
The two sides normally take turns hosting the bilateral border meetings, and the last GBC meeting was held in September, in Koh Kong province of Cambodia.
The GBC (General Border Committee) is a forum for border security issues chaired by the defence ministers of the two countries. The JBC (Joint Boundary Commission) focuses on legal and technical land demarcation and is led by foreign ministry officials, while the RBC (Regional Border Committee) handles regional border management and cooperation, involving regional military commanders.
