Anutin Says Conflict With Cambodia Would Only Bring “Losses and Suffering”

Anutin Says Conflict With Cambodia Would Only Bring “Losses and Suffering”

CEBU, May 7, 2026 — Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to pursue peace through dialogue and expand confidence-building measures following trilateral talks hosted by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the sidelines of the 48th ASEAN Summit.

Speaking after discussions with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Anutin described the meeting as “frank and candid” and stressed that both countries must avoid further conflict.

“Thailand and Cambodia are two neighboring countries. It is best that we avoid conflict. It only brings losses and suffering,” Anutin said during a joint press briefing.

He thanked Marcos, serving as ASEAN chair, for convening the meeting in Cebu and facilitating dialogue between the two Southeast Asian neighbours amid ongoing tensions over border and maritime disputes.

Anutin said both governments had agreed to instruct their foreign ministers to work closely on practical confidence-building measures aimed at restoring trust and gradually rebuilding bilateral relations.

“These measures would be key to restoring trust and gradually rebuilding our bilateral relations,” he said.

According to Anutin, the proposed measures would begin with areas where both sides share common ground and where implementation could start immediately.

He also emphasized the importance of expanding communication channels at all levels to bridge differences and strengthen cooperation.

“Thailand and Cambodia must move forward together step-by-step in the same direction,” he said. “As we move, we should communicate more directly with each other at all levels and try to find ways to bridge gaps and expand cooperation.”

On land and maritime boundary issues, Anutin said he had proposed what he described as a constructive path forward based on good neighbourly relations, though he did not provide further details.

The trilateral meeting came amid heightened tensions between Cambodia and Thailand over contested border areas and overlapping maritime claims in the Gulf of Thailand, including Cambodia’s recent decision to pursue compulsory conciliation under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) after Thailand withdrew from the 2001 maritime memorandum.

“Today, we’ve taken a major step,” Anutin said. “I’m confident that with determination and sincerity on both sides we can advance the pursuit of peace for our two countries and for the region as a whole.”