Phnom penh: Cambodia and Thailand have agreed on four points regarding the issues related to joint survey and demarcation in the segment of Boundary Pillars No. 42 to 47 in the area of Chouk Chey-Nong Chan Village and Prey Chan-Nong Ya Kaeo Village.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the agreement was reached during the Special Meeting of the Cambodian-Thai Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC), which concluded around midnight on Oct. 22 in Chanthaburi province. The Cambodian side was led by H.E. Lam Chea, Minister in charge of the State Secretariat of Border Affairs of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Co-Chairman of the Cambodian-Thai JBC, while the Thai side was headed by H.E. Prasas Prasasvinitchai, Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, Co-Chairman of the Thai-Cambodian JBC.
A press statement released after the meeting outlined that both sides agreed to finalise the Technical Instruction (TI) for Joint Survey and Emplacement of Temporary Markers of priority t
errain segments from Boundary Pillars No. 42 to 47. Following the completion of the survey and emplacement of temporary markers and their approval by the respective governments, both nations will consult their governments to decide on an appropriate mechanism for adjusting land occupation.
The agreement specifies that the emplacement of temporary markers is exclusively for survey purposes and does not affect the international boundary between Cambodia and Thailand. Additionally, there is an understanding to encourage local authorities, both military and civilian, to ensure the safety of the Joint Survey Team, avoid obstructing its work, and refrain from any provocative actions that might increase tensions in the area. This safety assurance includes protection from landmines as per Article 3 of the MOU 2000.
In other border areas, both parties have tasked the Joint Technical Sub-Committee (JTSC) with replacing 15 Boundary Pillars at their original locations and specifications, and they have agreed to replace
3 Boundary Pillars submerged in water at a mutually agreed position. They have also committed to speeding up the revision of Terms of Reference (TOR) 2003 concerning the production of orthophoto maps, by employing new technologies like LiDAR to expedite the survey and demarcation work.
The next Meeting of the JBC is scheduled for the first week of January 2026 in Siem Reap, Cambodia.