BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH – Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) issued a statement on Wednesday, saying that Thailand has repatriated 18 detained Cambodian soldiers to Cambodia.
In the statement, the MFA stated that the repatriation is in line with paragraph 11 of the Joint Statement between Thailand and Cambodia signed at the 3rd Special General Border Committee Meeting on Dec 27, 2025, which states that the 18 Cambodian soldiers will be returned to Cambodia after the ceasefire has been fully maintained for 72 hours. The release is also in the spirit of the Joint Declaration between Thailand and Cambodia signed on Oct 26, 2025, in Kuala Lumpur.
In Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s Defense Ministry’s Spokesperson Lt Gen Maly Socheata confirmed on the same day the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers that Thailand had captured since late July.
“The return of our 18 soldiers is under the observation of the ASEAN Observer Team and the International Committee of the Red Cross,” Socheata said.
“Cambodia remains hopeful that this release will significantly contribute to building mutual trust and confidence,” she said. “We believe this creates an environment conducive to peace, stability, and the full normalization of relations for the benefit of both nations and their people in the near future.”
Meanwhile, the MFA spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura said on Tuesday that, given the current caretaker status of the Thai government and the continued presence of landmines rendering the border areas unsafe, Thailand considers that conditions are not yet met for convening a Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meeting.
Nikorndej told a press conference that the proposal to convene a JBC meeting was put forward earlier by the Cambodian side, predating the special meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers. He added that, as the current situation has changed, the proposal needs to be reconsidered.
According to the spokesperson, given the current caretaker status of the Thai government, it may not be in a position to designate appropriate representatives to attend talks on boundary delimitation.
Nikorndej also highlighted that with the continued presence of a significant number of landmines in the border area, both sides are unable to conduct surveys or boundary demarcation work.
Clear demining mechanisms must first be established before a JBC meeting can take place, said the spokesperson.
Cambodia has sent a diplomatic note to Thailand, proposing to hold the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary for the first week of January 2026 in Cambodia’s Siem Reap province, according to a Monday press release from the State Secretariat of Border Affairs.