Thailand has rejected claims that it initiated the conflict with Cambodia and disputed figures cited by United Nations Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews in his End of Mission Statement following a visit to Cambodia.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on August 1, Thailand reiterated that the conflict between the two countries was not initiated by Thailand, but resulted from what it described as “indiscriminate attacks” by Cambodia targeting civilian areas in Thailand.
The MFA also disputed the Special Rapporteur’s reference to an alleged 650,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Cambodia, saying part of the figure comprised Cambodians who had remained in areas Thailand opened as temporary shelters in the late 1970s as part of its humanitarian assistance.
The ministry said those individuals did not return to Cambodia despite improvements in their situation and repeated protests lodged by Thailand with the Cambodian government. It argued that those individuals had “encroached on Thai territory” and therefore do not meet the definition of an IDP.
Thailand said the right of return should not be “exploited for political purposes or propaganda”, but should instead be upheld in line with genuine humanitarian principles. The ministry added that the Cambodian government is responsible for protecting citizens displaced by the conflict within Cambodia, particularly their rights to life and safety.
It also said Cambodia has an obligation to ensure those affected, especially vulnerable groups, have access to adequate shelter, an adequate standard of living, food, clean water, sanitation and essential public health services.
Responding to the Special Rapporteur’s reference to an alleged 900,000 Cambodian migrant workers returning from Thailand, the ministry said the group included both legally employed workers and those who had entered and worked in Thailand illegally.
It added that the workers returned to Cambodia voluntarily following calls by the Cambodian government. The ministry also reiterated that Thailand remains committed to ensuring the safety of Cambodian migrant workers and has never had a policy of expelling them from the country.
The ministry reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to promoting and protecting human rights, as well as respecting international humanitarian law. It said Thailand has consistently cooperated with the United Nations Human Rights Council‘s (HRC) Special Procedures and has already provided relevant explanations, which have been officially recorded.
Thailand also urged the UN HRC’s Special Procedures to base their assessments on credible and verifiable information while remaining independent, impartial and objective and considering perspectives from all sides. It said this is essential to ensuring balanced human rights assessments that are consistent with the mandates of the Special Procedures.
The ministry said Thailand remains ready to “rebuild relations with Cambodia” but stressed that doing so requires genuine and sincere cooperation from Cambodia.
It called on both countries to fully implement the Joint Statement of December 27, 2025, including reducing tensions and refraining from actions or allegations that could be provocative, create misunderstandings or undermine mutual trust.
The ministry said this would help create conditions for resolving border security issues through peaceful means and continued bilateral engagement.
The story Thailand disputes UN rapporteur’s claims on Thailand-Cambodia conflict as seen on Thaiger News.
