Second round of Thai-Cambodian maritime talks to focus on legal issues

The second round of conciliation talks with Cambodia under UNCLOS will begin tomorrow in The Hague, focusing on technical and legal issues related to maritime boundaries, Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said yesterday.

The talks would not involve substantive decisions at this stage, as the two sides would need to examine each other’s legal arguments and supporting documents.

Sihasak said Cambodia might ask Thailand to explain the basis for its proposed boundary lines, but Thailand remained firm in its position that the priority should be to establish the maritime boundary first.

Sihasak said the conciliation process would normally take about a year, although the timeframe could be extended. It could also conclude earlier if discussions progressed smoothly.

On the sharing of maritime resources, he said it was too early to discuss the issue, as the two sides needed to address boundary delimitation first.

The maritime dispute stems from overlapping claims by Thailand and Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand, including areas believed to contain 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 the joint development of hydrocarbon resources in the disputed area.