Thailand and Cambodia negotiate maritime border dispute

Thailand and Cambodia have entered a new phase of negotiations regarding their overlapping maritime claims in the Gulf of Thailand. The dispute, which involves a 27,000-square-kilometer area believed to contain significant oil and gas deposits, is currently being addressed through a compulsory conciliation process under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The two nations hold contrasting positions on the path forward. Cambodia is seeking either a definitive maritime boundary or an interim agreement to allow for the joint development and sharing of offshore energy resources. Conversely, Thailand maintains that the maritime boundary must be clearly established before any discussions regarding resource sharing can take place.

The current mediation follows the collapse of a 2001 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU 44) after Thailand unilaterally withdrew from the agreement. While the international conciliation commission can provide recommendations, its findings will be non-binding.