On 19 April 2013, the final day of public hearings in the Case Concerning the Request for Interpretation of the Judgment of 15 June 1962 in the Case Concerning the Temple of Preah Vihear (Cambodia v. Thailand), Mr. Surapong Tovichakchaikul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Phongthep Thepkanjana, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, and Air Chief Marshal Sukumpol Suwanatat, Minister of Defence, led the Thai delegation to attend Thailand’s presentation of arguments and its final submission to the International Court of Justice.

During the second and last round of oral proceedings, Thailand countered Cambodia’s claim on the disputed 4.6 km2 near the Temple of Phra Viharn.  In his concluding statement, Mr. Virachai Plasai, Ambassador to the Netherlands and Thailand’s Agent, asked the Court to adjudge and declare that Cambodia’ Request does not satisfy the conditions for interpretation of the 1962 Judgment, and consequently, the Court has no jurisdiction to respond to that Request.  Alternatively, if the Court finds Cambodia’s Request admissible, it should rule that there are no grounds to interpret the Judgment.  The Agent also asked the Court to declare that the 1962 Judgment does not determine the boundary line between Thailand and Cambodia nor does it fix the limit of the Temple’s vicinity.

After the conclusion of public hearings, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Surapong commended the Thai legal team on the hard work it undertook in compiling solid evidence and formulating convincing arguments against Cambodia’s case in the Court.  He was also pleased with the Agent’s and the foreign legal counsel and experts’ delivery of their statements in the Court which he believed was right-to-the-point.  Prime Minister Yingluck also called to express her appreciation for the team’s excellent performance during the hearings and thanked, on behalf of the Royal Thai Government and the Thai people, those involved in the Case, including the foreign legal counsel and experts.  Ambassador Virachai said that he was grateful for the support from the Thai authorities concerned and thanked the Thai media for their help in constructively disseminating information to the public.