Cambodia Urges Thailand to Resume Border Talks Amid Survey Delays

PHNOM PENH, June 16, 2026 (KPT) — Cambodia has urged Thailand to swiftly resume joint border survey operations, accusing Bangkok of delaying appointments to key bilateral mechanisms despite forming a new government.

The Cambodian State Secretariat of Border Affairs (CSSBA) said Cambodia had repeatedly sent diplomatic notes requesting special meetings of the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) and the deployment of Joint Survey Teams (JSTs) to continue fieldwork along the frontier.

It said the Thai side had postponed citing elections, cabinet formation and internal approvals. While acknowledging that a new Thai government has taken office, Cambodia said no official appointments to the Thai JBC leadership have yet been made.

The State Secretariat said the delays contravene agreed minutes from an October 2025 JBC meeting and commitments under a December 2025 General Border Committee statement, which prioritised urgent survey work to enable displaced civilians to return home safely.

Cambodia also accused Thai forces of continuing activities in disputed areas, including what it described as “creating new situations” on the ground, despite repeated diplomatic protests. The allegations could not be independently verified.

The secretariat said it submitted a new note verbale on June 15 urging Thailand to dispatch survey teams “at the earliest opportunity.”

It reiterated Cambodia’s rejection of any border changes imposed by force, stressing its firm stance against what it called “fait accompli” tactics.

The bilateral frameworks and peaceful means, calling on both sides to return to established technical mechanisms, including joint survey and demarcation work, in line with practices followed between 2013 and 2025.