NEW YORK – In a sharp rebuke at the United Nations General Assembly, Thailand’s Foreign Minister, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, accused Cambodia of portraying itself as a victim and presenting a distorted version of the facts in the ongoing border dispute between the two nations. Minister Sihasak stated he was compelled to rewrite his prepared speech after hearing what he termed “the most regrettable remarks” from his Cambodian counterpart, Deputy Prime Minister Sokhonn Prak, earlier in the day.

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Minister Sihasak expressed his dismay, stating that Cambodia’s narrative does not withstand scrutiny and “makes a mockery of the truth.” He identified the true victims of the conflict as Thai soldiers who have lost limbs to landmines, children whose schools were shelled, and civilians caught in rocket fire. The minister revealed a stark contradiction between Cambodia’s private and public stances, noting that just a day prior, both sides had met to discuss peace and mutual trust, a theme echoed in consultations hosted by the United States. He lamented that the Cambodian address to the General Assembly was “the complete opposite,” revealing what he suggested were Cambodia’s true intentions.

Thai FM addresses the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, responds to Cambodia's distortion of facts and victim narrative. Despite 4-party talks, Cambodia's actions contradict peace intentions. Thailand asks: Do you truly want peace, not just words? #TruthFromThailand pic.twitter.com/J1DZyM947G

— PR Thai Government (@prdthailand) September 28, 2025

The Thai Foreign Minister firmly rejected Cambodia’s territorial claims, asserting that villages cited by Cambodia are unequivocally “in Thai territory, full stop.” He provided historical context, explaining that these settlements emerged after Thailand opened its borders out of compassion to hundreds of thousands of Cambodians fleeing civil war in the late 1970s. Sihasak warned that recent Cambodian actions, including the mobilization of civilians into Thai territory, cross-border firing since September 23, and repeated surveillance drone intrusions, constitute a violation of Thai sovereignty and the ceasefire agreement. While stressing that Thailand is part of the same ASEAN family and will always stand for peace and dialogue, he concluded with a defining question for Cambodia: “Which path do they wish to take; the path of continued confrontation or the path of peace and cooperation?”

-Thailand News (TN)