Phumtham insists ceasefire talks with Cambodia must be conditional

Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said today that ceasefire talks with Cambodia must be conditional and that Thai troops will carry on with their duties to defend the country until the threats against Thai civilians stop or are neutralised.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said earlier that any ceasefire with Thailand must be unconditional.

Phumtham said that he has informed US President Donald Trump of Thailand’s readiness for ceasefire talks with Cambodia, on the condition that Cambodia demonstrates its commitment to not going back on its word and preparedness for the ceasefire talks, while withdrawing its troops and long-range weaponry from the border to the extent that they no longer pose a threat to Thai civilians.

He also said that he has informed Trump about the impacts of the fighting, which have caused the deaths of 13 Thai civilians, injured over 50 and displaced nearly 130,000 people.

He noted that Cambodia has offered ceasefires previously, only to break them.

The acting prime minister said he believes ceasefire talks could be held between Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa and his Cambodian counterpart today.

He admitted, though, that he is unsure whether the talks could be held and concluded before August 1st, which is the deadline set by the US for the conclusion of tariff talks with the remaining countries, including Thailand and Cambodia.