In an interview with FRANCE 24, Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow called for de-escalation with Cambodia, warning that "further conflict means more losses". However, he dismissed Phnom Penh's territorial claims as "totally not correct" and accused Cambodia of "internationalising the conflict".
A ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia was signed on December 27, 2025 – after weeks of clashes that killed dozens of people and displaced over a million civilians – but Sihasak acknowledged that this deal remains "fragile". A previous US-brokered agreement collapsed within weeks of its October signing.
A few days ago, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet claimed that Thailand was still occupying positions deep inside Cambodian territory.
"It's the Cambodian side that keeps internationalising the conflict" [and] making "claims that are not true," Sihasak said.
Thailand's top diplomat said that he is in contact with his Cambodian counterpart "on WhatsApp" in a bid to prevent further escalation, noting that "further conflict means more losses".
"We have to avoid acts of provocation," he said.
Turning to Myanmar, Sihasak expressed Thailand's desire to bring Naypyidaw back into ASEAN, nearly five years after the military coup in the country.
"We want sustainable peace in Myanmar. It's in our interest," he said, stressing however that re-engagement "is not a one-way street" and that Myanmar "have to continue with dialogue, reconciliation and establishing a viable peace process".
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