Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has reaffirmed that Thailand will agree to a 72-hour ceasefire but will not accept Cambodia’s proposal to resume border negotiations at the positions held before the latest round of clashes, insisting that Thailand “cannot retreat” from areas it has secured.
He made the declaration just a few hours before Cambodian troops fired a rocket barrage at Ban Nong Chan in Surin province, killing three Thai soldiers and injuring 17 others late Friday afternoon.
Mr Anutin said the National Security Council (NSC) had authorised sending Defence Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit to lead the Thai delegation at Saturday’s General Border Committee (GBC) talks in the eastern province of Chanthaburi.
The discussions aim to finalise a joint statement that was endorsed in principle by the secretariats of both countries after three days of technical talks involving military officials.
The draft agreement remains anchored in the four principles of the Oct 26 Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration: withdrawal of heavy weapons, Thai clearance of unexploded ordnance, joint action against scam networks, and resolving issues in Ban Nong Chan and Ban Nong Ya Kaeo in Sa Kaeo province.
Mr Anutin said Thailand had requested a 72-hour halt to hostilities as a prerequisite for considering the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers who have been detained in Thailand since the first round of hostilities in July.
“This is the condition we have set. If Cambodia can honour it, we will consider the release,” he said.
However, he rejected Phnom Penh’s request for both sides to revert to their pre-clash positions.
“We have already established sovereignty in areas we are confident belong to Thailand. We cannot step back,” he said. “Negotiations must proceed from the current reality, not from a position that disadvantages Thailand.
“This is not a business negotiation. It is about national sovereignty.”
Mr Anutin said the Thai armed forces had confirmed that operational objectives had been achieved.
“The military has reported that we have met all targets relating to territorial integrity,” he said, adding that the army’s demining teams had uncovered significant evidence of newly planted explosive devices on Thai soil.
Asean observers had provided written confirmation that additional landmines had been brought in and laid along troop routes, the prime minister said.
During an inspection tour, he said he had personally examined the devices.
Mr Anutin said Thailand remained open to communication through all established mechanisms and informal channels. If the Cambodian prime minister sought direct talks, he said, Bangkok would respond.
“The principles are already clear. If both sides comply with the Kuala Lumpur declaration, the issue will be resolved,” he added.
Mr Anutin expressed hope that Saturday’s GBC meeting would produce a final and binding agreement to restore stability, allow civilians to return home and prevent further escalation.
“If Cambodia agrees, we can move forward. But if we are provoked or threatened, Thailand is ready to respond,” he warned.
Meanwhile, fighting continued on Friday along multiple fronts in Sa Kaeo province. The Ministry of Defence said Thai forces secured Ban Nong Chan in Khok Sung district after clashes at dawn, and now control three key frontlines: Ban Khlong Phang, Ban Nong Chan and Ban Nong Ya Kaeo.
Thailand and Cambodia have been at odds for decades over their shared border, which was drawn based on a Franco-Siamese treaty of 1907. To this day, only 630km of the 800-kilometre border has been officially demarcated.
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