Marcos Mediates Thailand-Cambodia Border Talks at ASEAN Summit

Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., acting as the 2026 ASEAN chair, facilitated a trilateral meeting on May 7 and 8, 2026, in Cebu to mediate border disputes between Thailand and Cambodia. The talks took place on the sidelines of the 48th ASEAN Summit following a period of severe instability. In 2025, two rounds of fighting involving artillery and airstrikes killed nearly 150 people and displaced approximately 300,000 civilians along the 817-kilometer border.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet agreed to implement practical confidence-building measures to restore trust and normalize relations. Both leaders tasked their respective foreign ministers to maintain open communication and develop a list of de-escalation steps. The diplomatic effort comes amid fresh tensions after Thailand unilaterally terminated a 2001 memorandum of understanding regarding joint offshore energy exploration, a move that Cambodia expressed disappointment over.

To ensure the stability of the current ceasefire, Marcos confirmed that the mandate of the ASEAN Observer Team, currently led by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, is extended through July. While no definitive breakthrough on land or maritime boundaries was achieved, the leaders committed to exercising restraint and pursuing a peaceful path toward a fair solution. These discussions follow an unsuccessful 2025 troop withdrawal pact overseen by former U.S. President Donald Trump.