Phumtham and Anwar discuss border situation and IOT

Government spokesperson reveals Phumtham discusses Thailand-Cambodia border situation with Anwar Ibrahim, affirms IOT's operation principles; suggestions to be reviewed at next GBC meeting

Jirayu Huangsub, spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office and Committee of the Ad Hoc Centre for Thailand-Cambodia Border Situation, revealed on Tuesday (19 August) that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Phumtham Wechayachai, acting in place of the Prime Minister, had a phone conversation with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to exchange views and monitor the progress of the Thai-Cambodian border situation, particularly regarding the operations of the Interim Observer Team (IOT).

Phumtham, along with Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, Deputy Defence Minister Gen Nattaphon Narkphanit, and Prime Minister’s Secretary-General Prommin Lertsuridej, participated in the discussion. 

He emphasised that Thailand reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the IOT operates by the principles and framework agreed upon during the Extraordinary General Border Committee (GBC) meeting held on August 7, 2025.

The IOT is still in its initial phase, and any suggestions regarding its operations can be submitted for consideration at the next GBC meeting in the coming month for further evaluation.

Phumtham also expressed gratitude to ASEAN Chair and Prime Minister Anwar for his efforts in helping resolve the situation positively and reiterated Thailand’s readiness to support peaceful resolutions based on the Thai-Cambodian bilateral discussion framework.

On the same day, Anwar posted on social media, stating: "This afternoon, I spoke with Hun Manet, the Prime Minister of Cambodia, to discuss the latest developments regarding the ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand. We also discussed the IOT, which has been closely monitoring the border areas between the two countries, and the next steps to enhance the IOT's operations."

Anwar later added in a follow-up post:

"After my discussion with Hun Manet, I also spoke with Acting Prime Minister Phumtham to discuss the current Cambodia-Thailand ceasefire. During our conversation, in addition to acknowledging the ongoing efforts of the IOT, which continues to closely monitor the situation along the border, we reviewed other initiatives that could be implemented to support the ceasefire monitoring operations. We also discussed the upcoming Thai-Cambodian GBC meeting scheduled for next month."

(2025/08/20-00:00)