Story perspectives

Thai PM Cancels Cambodia Offshore Energy Pact, Seeks UNCLOS Talks

5/6/2026

Summary

Story summary

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul cancelled the offshore energy pact with Cambodia as a campaign promise.
Thai cabinet ended the 2001 memorandum on hydrocarbon exploration in Gulf of Thailand.
Cambodia’s foreign minister Prak Sokhonn said Cambodia will seek conciliation under United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Thai officials said the cancellation aims to start talks under UNCLOS after clashes killed 150 people and displaced hundreds of thousands.

History

Historical Context

After the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea entered into force in 1994, Thailand joined the 169-nation treaty in the 1990s, enabling ASEAN to adopt joint maritime dispute-resolution mechanisms. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s 2024 cancellation of the 2001 offshore energy memorandum revives that legal framework, pushing Thailand and Cambodia to refer their Gulf of Thailand claims to the International Court of Justice.

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Story summary

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul cancelled the offshore energy pact with Cambodia as a campaign promise.
Thai cabinet ended the 2001 memorandum on hydrocarbon exploration in Gulf of Thailand.
Cambodia’s foreign minister Prak Sokhonn said Cambodia will seek conciliation under United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Thai officials said the cancellation aims to start talks under UNCLOS after clashes killed 150 people and displaced hundreds of thousands.

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