Nophadol In-na, chairman of the panel, said yesterday (Mar 24) that the vote was unanimous to propose cancelling the 2000 pact. In December the same panel resolved to seek termination of the related 2001 agreement on maritime boundaries as well, reports the Bangkok Post.
Thailand and Cambodia signed the documents, popularly known as MoU 43 and 44 (2543 and 2544 in the Buddhist calendar) to set the direction for negotiations to resolve contentious territorial claims.
Little progress has been made on the contested land boundaries, with disagreements erupting into armed conflicts in July and December last year.
Progress has also been limited under MoU 44, which the two countries hoped would pave the way to jointly develop offshore areas believed to be rich in natural gas.
The recommendation to scrap MoU 43 is expected to go before the Senate in April before being forwarded to the cabinet, Mr Nophadol said.
The senator said the recommendation followed more than 20 meetings, field visits to seven Thai-Cambodian border provinces, and briefings from security agencies and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The committee concluded that Cambodia had repeatedly encroached on Thai territory and ignored Thailand’s protests.
Mr Nophadol said the committee believed Thailand could still pursue peaceful negotiations on a permanent land boundary with Cambodia even without the 2000 MoU in place.
Six key reasons
He outlined six main reasons for seeking its cancellation. First, the panel said the agreement was flawed, particularly in its acceptance of Cambodia’s 1:200,000-scale map, which conflicts with Thailand’s more accurate 1:50,000-scale map and has complicated boundary demarcation.
It also said the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission lacked the authority to deal with encroachment issues.
Second, the committee questioned the MoU’s constitutional validity, arguing that a previous Cabinet had merely acknowledged it rather than formally approving it, and that parliament had not reviewed it despite its implications for Thai territory.
Third, it said Cambodia’s 1993 constitution requires the use of a 1:100,000-scale map, raising the risk that maps produced under the 2000 MoU may not even be recognised by Phnom Penh.
Fourth, the panel cited a lack of progress, saying that after nearly 26 years only about 60% of the first stage of surveying had been completed.
Fifth, it said the border situation had fundamentally changed after two major clashes in 2025, prompting Thailand to rely instead on a Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee joint statement dated Dec 27, 2025, under which both sides would keep troops at their current positions.
Sixth, the committee accused Cambodia of failing to honour agreements, engaging in provocation and spreading false information, while arguing that the 2000 MoU was not robust enough to address such behaviour.
The panel also said Thailand could unilaterally revoke the agreement under Article 60 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties if Cambodia was deemed to have committed a material breach.
It said Cambodia would need to be given at least three months’ notice.
Cambodia stockpiling weapons
This came as the Thai army intelligence chief warned that the border conflict with Cambodia could reignite, pointing out that Phnom Penh has placed large orders for weaponary.
Lt Gen Teeranan Nandhakwang wrote on Facebook yesterday that tensions along the border with Cambodia currently appear to be easing, with a shift from military combat to international legal and diplomatic manoeuvring.
However, risks remained. Cambodia had bought a large quanitiy of armaments from countries in eastern Europe, in the lead-up to a general election in 2027. This could trigger another round of border conflict.
The situation along the border would need to be closely monitored once the wet season ends, Lt Gen Teeranan wrote.
Army spokesman Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree said there was some movement by the Cambodian military, but it did not justify immediate concern. The Thai army had reliable information about Cambodia’s arms procurement.
The spokesman admitted reports of Cambodian troop movements near Ta Kwai temple, under the jurisdiction of the 2nd Army in Surin province, but said the situation remained under control.
Yesterday the army introduced domestically developed combat drones aimed at strengthening operational readiness along the Thai-Cambodian border.
Speaking at the Rachamanu Task Force base in Tak province, Col Nattakorn Rueantip, chief of staff of the 4th Infantry Division and commander of the Phoenix Unit, outlined the launch of first-person-view (FPV) “suicide” drones and bomb-dropping drones. The systems had already been deployed in real operations during previous clashes along the frontier, he said.
“The army is preparing for future scenarios and improving survivability against increasing threats. We must develop more advanced drones than our adversaries and integrate artificial intelligence to enhance operational efficiency, reduce interference and ensure missions can proceed without disruption or resistance in complex environments,” he said.
He said the army has allocated full budgetary support, with more than B500,000 spent on components alone.
The drones had proven cost-effective against targets such as armoured vehicles, enemy positions and jamming systems. Production was being scaled up to meet operational demand and ensure sufficient deployment across units, alongside increased pilot numbers.
He added that the army is planning a centralised drone command centre, allowing rapid redeployment of drone units to any region facing sudden threats, similar to recent operations along the Thai-Cambodian border.
The Phoenix unit has trained more than 400 drone pilots across 11 batches, with ongoing joint exercises involving the army, navy, marines and police.
Col Nattakorn stressed that continuous development is essential, given the rapid pace of technological change, noting some systems can become outdated within days.
Beyond combat roles, the drones are also used by the 3rd Army, responsible for the defence and security of northern Thailand, for anti-scam operations and public assistance, although enforcement challenges persist in neighbouring countries, he said.