CHANTHABURI – Military officials from Thailand and Cambodia commenced high-level negotiations on Wednesday at the Ban Laem border checkpoint in Chanthaburi province, raising hopes for a formal ceasefire agreement. The talks, part of a four-day meeting of the General Border Committee (GBC), are seen as a critical step toward ending weeks of hostilities along the shared frontier.

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The discussions follow a meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, which aimed to revive a truce initially brokered by Malaysia and U.S. President Donald Trump after clashes in July. Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri, spokesman for the Thai Ministry of Defence, indicated that if the ongoing secretariat-level talks progress smoothly, they could lead to a meeting between the two countries’ defence ministers on December 27 to finalize an agreement.

Military officials from Thailand and Cambodia began talks on Wednesday, both countries said, days after the neighbours agreed to discuss resumption of a ceasefire after 16 days of fierce border clashes that have killed at least 86 people. https://t.co/9ayLqIr1HM

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“If the secretariat meeting goes smoothly and leads to an agreement, then there will be a meeting between the defence ministers of the two countries on Dec 27,” Rear Adm Surasant told reporters. He cautioned, however, that the success of the talks depends on Cambodia’s sincerity in both words and actions.

Thailand and Cambodia to Hold Ceasefire Talks This Wednesday

Thailand has maintained that any ceasefire must be initiated by a public announcement from Phnom Penh, followed by genuine cooperation on demining operations along the disputed border. The outcome of this week’s negotiations is being closely watched as a potential pathway to de-escalation after sustained military engagements that have resulted in significant casualties on both sides.

-Thailand News (TN)