Key facts
- Thailand will appoint two conciliators for UN-backed mediation with Cambodia.
- Cambodia invoked a compulsory conciliation process under UNCLOS.
- The dispute concerns a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Thailand.
- The disputed area is estimated to hold nearly 12 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and large quantities of oil.
- The estimated value of the resources in the disputed area is about $300 billion.
- Thailand has suspended other bilateral talks on the matter.
Thailand announced it will appoint two conciliators to join a United Nations arbitration process initiated by Cambodia to resolve a long-standing maritime boundary dispute in the Gulf of Thailand. Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow expressed dismay at Cambodia's decision to utilize this mechanism, stating that bilateral talks should have been exhausted first. Cambodia had launched the compulsory conciliation process under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) after Thailand terminated a 2001 bilateral agreement. The dispute covers approximately 26,000 square km of sea, estimated to contain nearly 12 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and significant oil reserves, valued at around $300 billion. The Thai Foreign Minister also noted that this UN-backed process, which delivers non-binding recommendations, will not necessarily improve overall bilateral ties, which have been strained by recent border clashes. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stated that Bangkok would not hold any other two-way talks, including those to manage land border issues. He contrasted this with the successful resolution of a maritime dispute between East Timor and Australia using the same UNCLOS mechanism, which took less than two years.