Thailand, Cambodia to resume maritime talks in The Hague next week
Thailand and Cambodia will hold the second meeting of a conciliation process on their maritime boundary dispute in The Hague, the Netherlands, from October 14 to 18, following their first meeting in Singapore in September.
Thailand’s delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow, who serves as the country’s Agent to the Conciliation Commission, with Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt serving as an adviser.
According to Thailand’s Foreign Ministry, the delegation will also include Songchai Chaipatiyut, director-general of the Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs, in his capacity as Deputy Agent, alongside representatives from the ministry and technical experts from relevant agencies.
These include the Hydrographic Department and Naval Operations Department of the Royal Thai Navy, as well as the Department of Mineral Fuels under the Ministry of Energy.
In a statement, the ministry said Thailand, as a state party to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), was ready to cooperate with and support the work of the Conciliation Commission.
The second meeting would provide an important opportunity for Thailand to present relevant technical information to the commission, with the aim of reaching an equitable resolution of the maritime delimitation issue with Cambodia in accordance with international law.
Meanwhile Cambodia’s delegation will be led by Foreign Affairs and and International Cooperation Minister Prak Sokhonn, who serves as Cambodia’s Agent, accompanied by Deputy Agent Lam Chea, minister in charge of the State Secretariat of Border Affairs, and a team of legal experts.
In a statement issued on October 9, Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said the meeting marked another step in the peaceful process initiated by Cambodia to resolve maritime differences between the two countries.
Building on discussions at the first meeting in Singapore, the upcoming session is expected to provide an opportunity for both sides to explore further progress and identify areas of agreement on maritime boundary delimitation.
Cambodia aims to conclude a treaty with Thailand establishing a single maritime boundary for all purposes or reach an agreement on the joint development and equitable sharing of resources pending a final boundary agreement.
If neither option is achieved, Cambodia would ask the commission to prepare recommendations that could serve as a basis for future negotiations, in accordance with both countries’ obligations under UNCLOS.
Cambodia said its objective was to reach a resolution that served the interests of the peoples of both countries while contributing to regional peace, cooperation and shared prosperity.
The maritime dispute stems from overlapping claims by Thailand and Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand, including areas with potential offshore oil and natural gas resources.
Cambodia initiated the conciliation process in June 2026 after Thailand terminated the 2001 memorandum of understanding (MOU), which provided a framework for negotiations on maritime boundary delimitation and joint development of hydrocarbon resources in the disputed area.