Jakarta: The Prime Minister engaged in discussions with the ASEAN Secretary-General, emphasizing Thailand's commitment to fostering a robust community while expressing regret over Cambodia's decision to pursue a forced compromise process.
According to Thai News Agency, on August 4, 2026, Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, met with Dr. Gao Kim Huan, Secretary-General of ASEAN, during his official visit to the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia. During the visit, they participated in a tree-planting ceremony and signed the guest book. Mr. Anutin reiterated Thailand's readiness to support the ASEAN Secretariat's operations and highlighted its upcoming participation in the ASEAN summit in Manila later this year.
In the discussions, the Prime Minister underscored Thailand's role in promoting ASEAN unity and informed the ASEAN Secretary-General of Thailand's plans to welcome the President of Myanmar to Government House later this week. The ASEAN Secretary-General appreciated Thailand's efforts and reaffirmed the country's readiness to support Thailand's chairmanship of ASEAN in 2028, noting that building a strong ASEAN necessitates unwavering political will from national leaders.
Furthermore, the Prime Minister addressed the Thai-Cambodian border situation, affirming Thailand's commitment to utilizing negotiation mechanisms under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which both countries are signatories. However, he expressed regret over Cambodia's choice to opt for "compulsory conciliation," a process whose outcomes are not legally binding. The ASEAN Secretary-General acknowledged the situation and expressed hope that relations between the two nations would improve as neighboring countries sharing a common border.