Bangkok: The Thai government has reiterated its longstanding position of not recognizing the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in resolving its border disputes with Cambodia. Instead, it has emphasized the importance of utilizing the Joint Border Commission (JBC) framework to address ongoing issues.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Jirayu Huangtrakul, spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office, stated that following the recent incident at the Thai-Cambodian border, the government released a statement reinforcing its stance. Since 1960, Thailand has not accepted ICJ jurisdiction, and it continues to prefer bilateral mechanisms, such as the JBC, the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC), and the Regional Border Committee (RBC), for conflict resolution.
The government highlighted that after the border clashes at Chong Bok, Ubon Ratchathani Province, on May 28, 2025, both nations agreed to use existing bilateral frameworks to resolve the issues. This agreement came about after discussions between the army commanders of both countries on May 29, 2025. While Cambodia has expressed an intention to involve the ICJ, Thailand maintains that bilateral mechanisms are adequate and have historically progressed in resolving border issues.
Thailand’s commitment to these mechanisms is evident in the successful projects such as the Thai-Cambodian Friendship Bridge and the construction of a new border crossing bridge. The Thai government has expressed its readiness to engage in the upcoming JBC meeting on June 14, 2025, and hopes for Cambodia’s cooperation to foster peace, stability, and mutual respect.