Thailand has rejected international mediation efforts to resolve its intensifying border conflict with Cambodia, instead calling for direct bilateral negotiations and demanding that Phnom Penh cease its military attacks, the Thai foreign ministry said on Friday.
Clashes along the disputed border have entered a second day, with heavy artillery exchanges reported at multiple hotspots. At least 16 people, most of them Thai civilians, have been killed in what has become the most serious military confrontation between the two Southeast Asian nations in over a decade.
Despite mediation offers from the United States, China, and Malaysia—the current chair of ASEAN—Thailand maintains that third-party intervention is unnecessary. “I don’t think we need any mediation from a third country yet,” Thai foreign ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura told Reuters.
The conflict, which erupted early Thursday at a long-disputed border site, escalated rapidly from small arms fire to the use of artillery. Both nations blame each other for provoking the violence. The contested border area has been a source of tension for over a century.
“We stand by our position that a bilateral mechanism is the best way forward. This is a confrontation between two countries,” Nikorndej stated. He emphasized that negotiations can only proceed once Cambodia halts its aggression. “Our doors are still open,” he added.
Cambodia has yet to respond officially to Thailand’s stance. However, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has appealed to the United Nations Security Council, accusing Thailand of “unprovoked and premeditated military aggression” and calling for an emergency meeting.
The UN Security Council is scheduled to hold a closed-door session on Friday to address the situation.
Tensions further escalated earlier in the week when Thailand expelled Cambodia’s ambassador and recalled its own envoy from Phnom Penh, following landmine explosions that injured Thai soldiers. Thai authorities claim the mines were newly planted by Cambodian forces—an allegation Cambodia denies.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he had spoken with both sides on Thursday, urging a peaceful resolution. While Thailand remains opposed to formal external mediation, Nikorndej indicated a degree of openness to ASEAN involvement.
“If the ASEAN family wants to facilitate a return to constructive bilateral negotiations, that’s welcome as well,” he said.
