Thailand and Cambodia should scale back their military presence along their shared border and work together to de-escalate tensions, Thailand's new foreign minister told reporters on Thursday.
Formally sworn into office along with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul a day earlier, Sihasak Phuangketkeow stressed the need to uphold the ceasefire agreed by Thailand and Cambodia at the end of a deadly five-day conflict in July.
He told reporters on his first day as foreign minister that his priority is to secure peace between the two Southeast Asian neighbours.
He said that the two countries need to implement the joint actions that were agreed during a dialogue earlier this month, including the reduction of forces, the clearance of landmines and a crackdown on illegal activities.
"Peace needs reduction of forces like the withdrawing of heavy weaponry from border areas to reduce the risk of violence," Sihasak said.
"We have agreed these things in principle, but what we need to see now is progress," he said.
Thailand and Cambodia have for more than a century contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817 km (508 miles) land border, which was first mapped by France in 1907 when Cambodia was its colony.
Tensions over disputed areas exploded into armed conflict in July, including the use of artillery fire and fighter jet sorties.
At least 48 people were killed and hundreds and thousands temporarily displaced in the heaviest fighting between the two countries in more than a decade.
The fighting ended after both countries agreed a ceasefire brokered in Malaysia on 28 July, and the border has remained mostly calm since, though tensions continue to simmer.
Ukraine and Russia signalled cautious openness to a U.S.-backed draft peace plan on Thursday, with both Kyiv and Moscow suggesting it could form the b...
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Paris on Wednesday in a rare visit by an Iranian top diplomat in recent years....
Russia has proposed a comprehensive programme to equip the forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) with modern weaponry, aimed at...
French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to visit China from 3 to 5 December 2025, during which he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping....
Rescuers in Thailand readied drones on Thursday to airdrop food parcels, as receding floodwaters in the south and neighbouring Malaysia brightened hop...
Ukraine and Russia signalled cautious openness to a U.S.-backed draft peace plan on Thursday, with both Kyiv and Moscow suggesting it could form the basis of future negotiations — though deep disagreements remain over legitimacy and territorial status.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Paris on Wednesday in a rare visit by an Iranian top diplomat in recent years.
Russia has proposed a comprehensive programme to equip the forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) with modern weaponry, aimed at strengthening collective security across the Eurasian region.
The European Parliament has approved a non-binding resolution calling for a minimum age of 16 for social media access across the EU, citing rising concerns about children’s mental health and online safety.
Venezuela says it has deployed a range of weapons, including decades-old Russian-made equipment, and plans to mount guerrilla-style resistance in the event of an air or ground assault particularly from the U.S.
A passenger aircraft from Polish carrier LOT veered off a taxiway at Lithuania's Vilnius airport after arriving from Warsaw on Wednesday, halting all traffic, the airport operator said.
The Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region erupted on Sunday morning (23 November), covering nearby villages in ash.
At least 36 people have died in a fire that ravaged a residential apartment complex on Wednesday according to John Lee the chief executive of Hong Kong.
SSC Napoli secured a 2-0 victory over Qarabağ FK in their UEFA Champions League group stage clash at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Italy.
Ukraine and Russia signalled cautious openness to a U.S.-backed draft peace plan on Thursday, with both Kyiv and Moscow suggesting it could form the basis of future negotiations — though deep disagreements remain over legitimacy and territorial status.
French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to visit China from 3 to 5 December 2025, during which he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The European Parliament has approved a non-binding resolution calling for a minimum age of 16 for social media access across the EU, citing rising concerns about children’s mental health and online safety.
France will introduce a new voluntary military service starting next summer, for people aged 18 and 19, the country's President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday.
Russia's Kremlin aid Yuri Ushakov has denounced the leak of recordings of phone calls between top advisers to U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as an “unacceptable” attempt to undermine Ukraine peace negotiations, calling it a form of hybrid warfare.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment