Cambodia and Thailand to Discuss Border Issues in Malaysia Next Week

August 1, 2025

Phnom Penh: Cambodia has expressed its approval of Thailand’s proposal to hold discussions on border matters in Malaysia next week, according to a Cambodian Defence Ministry spokesperson.

Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata, Undersecretary of State and spokesperson for Cambodia’s Defence Ministry, confirmed during a press briefing that Cambodia welcomes Thailand’s suggestion to convene a meeting of the General Border Committee (GBC) in Kuala Lumpur. She expressed confidence that the meeting would be productive and lead to positive outcomes.

Socheata stated that Cambodia’s Defence Minister Tea Seiha and Thailand’s Deputy Defence Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit will participate in the upcoming talks, as reported by Xinhua News Agency.

The Thai Defence Ministry’s spokesperson’s office announced on social media on Thursday that Deputy Defence Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit had officially responded to Cambodia’s invitation for the GBC meeting. In his reply, Nattaphon welcomed the opportunity and reiterated a shared commitment to easing tensions and resolving border security issues through peaceful and constructive means.

Earlier, on July 24, armed clashes occurred along the disputed border between Cambodia and Thailand. Both countries agreed to a ceasefire on July 28, which took effect at midnight that night. Observation teams were deployed on Wednesday to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire.

Socheata added that Malaysia, which currently holds the ASEAN chairmanship, sent a high-level delegation led by its Chief of Defence Forces, General Datuk Haji Mohd Nizam Bin Haji Jaffar, to Cambodia on Tuesday. The Malaysian defence chief also mentioned that two observation teams would be operational—one led by the Malaysian military attache in Cambodia and another led by the Malaysian military attache in Thailand.