Thailand rejects Cambodian sovereignty claims over disputed border areas

The Director of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Information Center (JIC), Air Vice Marshal Prapas Sonjaidee, has rejected Cambodia’s claims regarding sovereignty over disputed border areas. Responding to allegations that a recent visit by the Thai Prime Minister was an ‘unauthorised visit’ into Cambodian territory, the JIC stated that the visit was intended to provide moral support to security personnel and does not constitute a border demarcation or a change in territorial lines.

Addressing Cambodia’s use of physical markers and international observers as evidence of sovereignty, the JIC emphasized that ‘containers are not border markers, barbed wire is not a treaty, and trenches are not a map.’ The JIC argued that physical structures cannot prove sovereignty and that such matters must be resolved through legal frameworks, treaties, and the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) rather than through unilateral claims or media statements.

Thailand maintains that it adheres to the joint statement dated December 27, 2025, which requires both sides to maintain their current positions. The JIC urged Cambodia to utilize established bilateral mechanisms and technical evidence rather than attempting to settle disputes through unilateral declarations.