Thailand turns to UNCLOS in Cambodia maritime dispute, PM tells Macron
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul informed French President Emmanuel Macron that Thailand has decided to withdraw from the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cambodia on maritime boundary negotiations after nearly 25 years of deadlock, and will instead rely on international maritime law under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Anutin conveyed the message during his bilateral meeting with Macron in Paris on May 25, and emphasised that Thailand will now strictly adhere to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to resolve overlapping maritime claims.
Regarding land border disputes, Bangkok will rely on the joint statement signed late last year, although he noted that Cambodia’s sincerity in the negotiations remains to be proved.
During past border conflicts with Thailand, Cambodia often sought support from France and the international community, accusing Thailand of initiating the armed clashes. Phnom Penh also frequently raised the issue with third countries and before international fora.
The Anutin-Macron talks also focused on elevating bilateral ties to a strategic partnership, underpinned by the implementation of the Joint Action Plan to Strengthen the Thai-French Partnership 2026–2028.
According to government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek, Anutin said a key priority for his administration is the swift conclusion of the Thailand-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
“The FTA remains a cornerstone of the government’s economic agenda,” Rachada said, adding that “The Thai prime minister expressed gratitude to France for its continued support throughout the negotiation process and reiterated Thailand’s commitment to concluding the pact by the end of this year.”
The Thai government views the FTA as an economic turning point that could significantly boost trade and investment between Thailand and the European Union.
On bilateral commerce, both leaders agreed to promote investment in high-value, future-oriented industries.
Executives from MEDEF International expressed strong interest in expanding operations in Thailand, particularly in alternative energy, aerospace, smart grids and artificial intelligence (AI) data centre infrastructure.
Paris also welcomed the growing presence of Thai private-sector investment in France.
Security cooperation is also set to expand, beyond traditional frameworks such as the annual Cobra Gold military exercises.
The two countries plan to strengthen cooperation in cybersecurity, aligning with Bangkok’s crackdown on transnational cyber-scam networks, which has recently led to significant asset seizures and extraditions.