Thailand ends MOU 44 as Cambodia accepts UNCLOS for future talks
Thailand ends MOU 44 as Cambodia accepts UNCLOS for future talks — confirmed details at this stage for Phuket readers.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on May 7, 2026, that Cambodia has acknowledged Thailand’s cancellation of MOU 44 and agreed to use UNCLOS as the framework for future operations. The announcement followed talks on overlapping maritime issues, with the prime minister outlining Thailand’s position in comments reported the same day. Phuket is not directly involved in the negotiations, but the move centers on maritime boundaries governed under international law.
Cambodia acknowledges shift to UNCLOS framework
Paetongtarn said Cambodia had been informed of Thailand’s decision to cancel the 2001 memorandum of understanding, commonly known as MOU 44. She said Cambodia acknowledged that decision.
She also said both sides would use the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS, as the framework for future operations. That sets international maritime law as the basis for the next stage of engagement.
The prime minister’s remarks indicated a formal shift away from the bilateral memorandum toward a legal framework recognized more broadly in boundary and maritime matters. Her statement did not add operational details beyond Cambodia’s acknowledgment and the agreed reference to UNCLOS.
Source: https://www.matichon.co.th/politics/news_5708659
