Two days of border demarcation talks between Cambodia and Thailand wrapped early Thursday, with both sides agreeing to replace damaged boundary pillars, test new mapping technology, and push ahead with surveys in a disputed frontier zone.
Both sides agreed to reinstall 15 damaged or missing boundary pillars in their original locations and relocate three submerged markers once their new positions are settled, according to a statement posted by influential former leader and current Senate President Hun Sen.
It was not immediately clear where along the shared border the pillars will be installed.
The 2003 Terms of Reference (TOR), a bilateral technical agreement that sets procedures for joint survey and demarcation work, was updated to adopt LiDAR, a laser-based mapping technology that produces high-resolution terrain data.
The two-day meeting in Chanthaburi, Thailand, led by Cambodia’s Minister of the State Secretariat of Border Affairs Lam Chea and Thai counterpart Prasas Prasasvinitchai, also marked initial steps toward resuming surveys in a tense stretch along the Banteay Meanchey–Sa Kaeo border, where Thai soldiers have erected razor wire, demolished a civilian home, and past clashes have erupted between Cambodian civilians and Thai troops.
According to the statement shared by Hun Sen, both sides will finalize technical guidelines for a joint survey in the area and the placement of temporary markers.
“These markers are for survey purposes only and do not affect the official border,” the statement said, adding that each government will later decide how to handle land occupation adjustments in that area.
The committee, known as the Thai-Cambodian Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC), also agreed to ensure the safety of survey teams, including through mine clearance, and to avoid any provocative actions by local military or civilian authorities.
The next meeting is scheduled for early Jan. 2026 in Siem Reap, Cambodia, months after an expected peace agreement to be signed at the ASEAN summit in Malaysia starting Sunday.
