Thai Deputy Defense Minister Warns About Security Issues at Upcoming GBC Gathering
The Royal Thai Army has been ordered to collaborate with military attachés to inspect damage to civilian sites caused by Cambodian attacks. This comes as a response to the ongoing border disputes between the two nations.
General Natthapon Nakpanich, the Thai Deputy Defence Minister, has been closely monitoring the situation and has been receiving briefings from military commanders at all levels. He has also consulted the Army Commander-in-Chief regarding Cambodia's alleged ceasefire violations.
Thailand has already provided its version of events, including to the Indonesian military attaché, in response to Cambodia's denial of ceasefire violations to its own attachés. If ceasefire agreements are not honoured, the Thai Ministry of Defence will be aware of the breaches.
In a recent development, the General Border Committee (GBC) meeting between Thailand and Cambodia, held from August 4 to 7, 2025, in Malaysia, has reached a secretary-level agreement. However, this agreement is pending approval by security and cabinet authorities in Thailand before formalization.
The GBC meeting is in its final negotiation phase. Safety measures focus on maintaining the status quo with fortified positions but no troop increases. A minor border incident involving Cambodian soldiers cutting barbed wire along the Thai border near Chong An Ma was resolved through negotiations, with both sides agreeing to maintain the status quo and Thailand replacing the cut wire.
Malaysia, acting as a mediator, has indicated readiness to send a monitoring team to the border if officially requested by both Thailand and Cambodia. Malaysian officials have expressed that discussions are progressing positively, with commitments from both sides to seek peaceful resolutions.
However, General Natthapon has expressed concern about the upcoming GBC meeting in Cambodia due to potential safety risks. He has affirmed that Thailand must respond proportionately to further violations, considering troop safety and morale.
It is worth noting that a prior agreement between the two countries stipulates that any deployments of observers, youth media, and military attachés into border areas must be mutually agreed upon by both countries. These findings will be shared with foreign military attachés as evidence of ceasefire violations.
As the situation continues to evolve, both nations are expected to finalize the secretary-level agreement and move towards a formal ministerial-level meeting. The hope is that these negotiations will lead to a permanent resolution of the ongoing border disputes and ensure stability in the region.
- International discussions regarding the ongoing border disputes between Thailand and Cambodia are expanding, as evidenced by Malaysia's offering to send a monitoring team, and the involvement of foreign military attachés in gathering insights about potential ceasefire violations.
- In the realm of international politics, General Natthapon Nakpanich, the Thai Deputy Defence Minister, has emphasized the importance of peacekeeping measures, including honoring ceasefire agreements, to maintain stability in the region, especially during the General Border Committee meetings.
- As general news unfolds about the ongoing border conflicts between Thailand and Cambodia, education and awareness about war-and-conflicts, crime-and-justice, and diplomacy become crucial for understanding the complexities of international relations, and signify the need for continued negotiations toward a lasting peace.
