SINGAPORE | Thailand and Cambodia began a United Nations-backed conciliation process Tuesday to address a longstanding maritime boundary dispute in the Gulf of Thailand, opening a new diplomatic effort over an area believed to contain substantial oil and natural gas resources.
The three-day meeting in Singapore brings together the foreign ministers of both countries and a five-member commission established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The process follows Cambodia’s decision to invoke compulsory conciliation after Thailand withdrew from a 2001 memorandum that had provided a framework for negotiations over their overlapping maritime claims.
Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said Phnom Penh wants the two countries to reach a treaty establishing a single maritime boundary. He also said Cambodia is prepared to consider an agreement for the joint development and equitable sharing of resources if a final boundary settlement cannot immediately be reached.
Thailand, while participating in the process, has questioned the usefulness of the previous agreement and has indicated that it wants negotiations to proceed through a new framework. Reuters reported that Bangkok had agreed in June to appoint representatives to the UN conciliation process, while suspending other bilateral discussions amid broader tensions between the two countries.
The disputed area covers roughly 26,000 to 27,000 square kilometers in the Gulf of Thailand. It is considered potentially rich in hydrocarbons, with Reuters reporting estimates of oil and natural gas resources worth about $300 billion. The resource potential has made the maritime dispute economically significant for both governments.
The two countries signed their memorandum of understanding in Phnom Penh in 2001 to establish a framework for negotiating their overlapping continental shelf claims. The agreement is formally registered with the United Nations and concerns maritime boundaries and continental shelf rights.
The latest negotiations are taking place against the backdrop of a much broader deterioration in Thai-Cambodian relations. Deadly fighting along their land border in 2025 killed around 150 people and displaced more than 300,000, according to Reuters. Although the two governments later committed to restoring dialogue, mistrust has continued to affect bilateral relations.
Historical territorial disputes have repeatedly strained relations. In 1962, the International Court of Justice ruled that the Preah Vihear temple belonged to Cambodia, a decision that remains an important part of the historical tensions between the neighboring countries. More recent disputes have extended beyond the temple and land boundary questions to include offshore energy rights.
UNCLOS provides a legal framework for resolving maritime disputes, including questions involving maritime boundaries and rights over offshore resources. Cambodia ratified UNCLOS in February 2026, according to United Nations treaty records.
The compulsory conciliation process is designed to allow an independent commission to examine the positions of both countries and propose terms for resolving the dispute. Unlike a binding court judgment, the commission’s recommendations are not legally binding, meaning any lasting settlement will ultimately depend on the willingness of Thailand and Cambodia to accept and implement an agreement.
The Singapore talks therefore represent an important test of whether the two Southeast Asian neighbors can separate their maritime resource dispute from their wider political and security tensions. For now, both sides have returned to the negotiating table under an international legal framework, with the Gulf of Thailand’s potentially valuable resources providing a strong incentive to seek a settlement.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
