Thai envoy rebuts Cambodian claims

Thailand has accused Cambodia of making unfounded claims at the UN despite a ceasefire in place for more than nine months, and urged Phnom Penh to end border provocations and cooperate on security.

Cherdchai Chaivaivid, Thailand's ambassador and permanent representative to the UN in New York, exercised Thailand's right of reply on Monday, New York time, to respond to remarks by Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn during the 81st UN General Assembly on Saturday.

Mr Cherdchai said Cambodia's continued accusations contradicted commitments made by the Thai and Cambodian prime ministers in Cebu, the Philippines, during the Asean Summit.

He said Thailand had suffered from the disclosure of a private phone conversation between the two countries' leaders, newly laid Cambodian landmines that left Thai soldiers with serious injuries, and Cambodian rocket attacks into Thai territory that killed civilians, including women and children. He appeared to be referring to the leaked audio clip involving former prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Cambodia's Senate President Hun Sen.

The conflict had caused severe suffering on both sides, he said, with hundreds of thousands of Thais displaced by fighting. Thailand had provided shelters and assistance, while Cambodian claims of about 20,000 internally displaced people were misleading, as they were living in temporary shelters in Thailand established since the 1970s, he said.

Mr Cherdchai said Thailand remained fully committed to the ceasefire and had exercised maximum restraint, with its measures consistent with the joint statement both sides agreed on Dec 27, 2025.

Thailand continued to favour bilateral negotiations to resolve differences over maritime boundaries, he said, adding that Cambodia, however, had chosen to pursue compulsory dispute-settlement proceedings. Thailand was nevertheless participating constructively in the process in the hope that it would help rebuild trust, the ambassador said.