Thailand expresses disappointment with U.S. President Trump’s remarks over his phone call with Thai PM

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed views towards the latest remarks made by U.S. President Donald Trump over the phone call with Thai PM Anutin Charnvirakul on December 12, citing that the remarks have affected the sentiments of Thai people and the country

Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Sihasak Phuangketkeow held a press briefing yesterday to express the views on behalf of the Thai government over the remarks made by the U.S. President during a phone call with caretaker PM Anutin, apparently in an attempt to mediate the border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, which has erupted again.

On December 12, the phone conversation between the two leaders was scheduled for around 9.30 pm, before President Trump posted on Truth Social around midnight to update on their discussions. In his post, President Trump confirmed that he had talked to the Thai PM and Cambodian PM, Hun Manet, concerning what he viewed as “the very unfortunate reawakening of their long-running War”. 

The U.S. President further stated that the two leaders “have agreed” to cease all shooting effective on the evening of December 13 and to return to the original Peace Accord made with him, with the help of the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim.

He then cited the landmining by Cambodian troops that injured and killed Thai soldiers as “the roadside bomb”, and it was “an accident”. The U.S. President also remarked that Thailand nevertheless retaliated very strongly.

The U.S. President’s remarks prompted PM Anutin to react swiftly, saying on a post on his Facebook account in the morning of December 13 that “it’s definitely not a roadside accident”. The MFA held a press briefing in the late afternoon to present the views.

l Credit: MFA

According to H.E. Sihasak, Thailand sought to provide further clarification following the leaders’ phone conversation.

He said Thailand appreciated President Trump’s concern regarding the Thailand–Cambodia border situation and his desire for peace. Thailand, too, seeks peace, he said. However, peace cannot be achieved by one side alone; the other side must also be ready to choose peace, the FA Minister noted.

H.E. Sihasak further said that Thailand was concerned about President Trump’s remarks, which suggested that the U.S. side may not fully understand the situation on the ground or may have received information from sources that deliberately distorted the facts. 

In particular, he stressed, the reference to the incident in which Thai soldiers stepped on landmines as a “roadside accident” was not consistent with the facts. 

The evidence clearly shows that the laying of landmines — an incident that has occurred not just once, but on seven occasions — cannot be accidental. These were newly laid landmines by Cambodia, as confirmed by the ASEAN Observers Team, the Thai FA Minister pointed out.

The FA Minister also referred to the fresh incident concerning the attack by BM-21 rockets from the Cambodian side into civilian areas in Thailand’s Si Sa Ket province in the morning of December 13, resulting in serious injuries to civilians. He stressed that such an attack was clearly not an accident.

He then said Thailand expressed its disappointment with the President’s remarks, which he said have affected the sentiments of the Thai people and the country. 

“As the U.S.’ longest-standing treaty ally in Asia and a major Non-NATO Ally, Thailand and the U.S. have stood side by side through many challenges, and to this day our relations are grounded in shared security interests,” the Thai FA Minister noted.

H.E. Sihasak said the threats posed by Cambodia are not limited to border clashes alone, but also extend to other forms of threats, particularly online scams, which are a major driver of human trafficking and have resulted in victims both within and beyond the region. 

The international community must therefore work together to combat this threat. For Thailand’s part, he noted, Thailand has taken its responsibilities seriously and will co-host the International Conference on the Global Partnership against Online Scams from December 17-18 in Bangkok.

Regarding the ceasefire, H.E. Sihasak questioned when Cambodia would be ready. The FA Minister said a truce cannot be achieved by mere desire on one side; it requires readiness and genuine commitment from all parties. 

However, the attack on civilian areas by Cambodia (in the early morning of December 13) did not reflect such readiness and instead followed Cambodia’s repeated pattern, in which its commitments and actions did not align, in an apparent attempt to divert attention from the real issues and to gain advantage in the international arena. Any decision on the matter must be based on assessments by security authorities on the ground, the FA Minister noted. 

“ Thailand reiterates that our military operations have not been excessive, but have been conducted in accordance with the principle of proportionality, in response to the military operations of the Cambodian side, and strictly within the bounds of defensive purposes,” stated H.E. Sihasak.

H.E. Sihasak also said Thailand has no objection to the Cambodian PM’s proposal to use satellite imagery to establish the facts on the armed clashes. Thailand remains firmly committed to transparency and is open to verification, he stated. 

However, any such verification should cover not only incidents of armed engagement but also landmines. This is consistent with Thailand’s proposal at the Meeting of the States Parties to the Ottawa Convention earlier this month in Geneva to establish an independent fact-finding mission to seek the facts regarding Cambodia’s recent laying of new landmines, he noted.

Thailand will also support ASEAN’s proposal to convene a Special Meeting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, and is ready to participate in the meeting, the Foreign Minister further said.

The country will take this opportunity to brief ASEAN Members on the facts and clarify its position in addressing this situation, he added, while also expressing his concern over thousands of stranded Thais in Poipet, Cambodia. This issue is not part of the conflict, but rather a humanitarian matter, he stressed.

Also read: Conflicting accounts over renewed ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia emerge after phone call talks with U.S. President Trump