Summary of the Weekly Press Briefing 
by the Director-General of the Department of Information and MFA Spokesperson

on 8 January 2025 at 11:30 hrs.
MFA Press Conference Room and MFA FB LIVE / TikTok LIVE

1. Developments of the Thailand – Cambodia Border Situation

1.1 The firing from the Cambodian side into Chong Bok area, Ubon Ratchathani Province

• On 6 January 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was compelled to issue a statement condemning the firing by Cambodian forces into Chong Bok area, Ubon Ratchathani Province, which resulted in one Thai soldier being injured.
• Thailand exercised the utmost restraint and did not retaliate in kind, opting instead to contact the Cambodian side directly through the various channels to immediately verify the facts, which are actions consistent with the Joint Statement recently signed by both sides on 27 December 2025.
• Thailand also lodged a formal protest to Cambodia, requesting that Cambodia take responsibility, issue an apology, and strictly and sincerely abide by the Joint Statement.
• Most recently, the Cambodian side, through its 4^th Military Region and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, has sent letters to the Thai side claiming that the explosion originated from a pile of garbage while Cambodian forces were conducting organization and cleaning activities in the area. Cambodia has since expressed its sincere regret for this incident and for the injury caused to a Thai soldier. We are also informed that Cambodia is conducting further investigations into the explosion and will put in place measures to avoid the recurrence of a similar incident in the future.
• Thailand sincerely hopes that maintaining direct lines of communication, both at the central and the local levels as in this case, which is one of the provisions of the Joint Statement, will enable timely responses to urgent situations, which would help de-escalate tensions and reduce the risk of confrontations. This would be in line with the intention to seek solutions through peaceful means.

1.2 Thailand’s Compliance with the Ceasefire Agreement and Boundary Issues

• With regard to Cambodia’s protest against Thailand’s so-called “illegal occupation and military operations across various areas of Cambodian territory,” the Thai-Cambodian Joint Information Coordination Center, as well as the Thai security agencies, have already made appropriate clarifications.
• Thailand has strictly abided by the Joint Statement signed by both sides on 27 December
• The maintenance of current troop deployments by both sides following the ceasefire constitutes direct compliance with Paragraph 2 of the Joint Statement as agreed de-escalation measures that are clearly stipulated in the Joint Statement. This must not be misconstrued as territorial occupation. Thailand, therefore, strongly rejects Cambodia’s unfounded allegation of illegal annexation and urges Cambodia to cease making such claims, which risk undermining an environment conducive to dialogue.
• Thailand reaffirms that security measures undertaken by Thai forces are within the Thai side of the ceasefire and are also in full compliance with Paragraph 6 of the Joint Statement, which states that both sides agree not to undertake provocative actions that may escalate tensions, including military activities to enter the other side’s airspace and territory or positions as of the ceasefire.
• The Thai side remains firmly committed to the survey and demarcation of the common land boundary and reiterates that all legal and technical matters must be addressed within the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) mechanism.
• However, boundary matters will be most productive in a climate of de-escalation and mutual trust. To this end, Thailand calls on Cambodia to immediately implement the other readily available de-escalation measures outlined in the Joint Statement, particularly humanitarian demining, to ensure the safety of civilians and that of survey teams on the ground.
• The Thai side remains fully committed to the continuity of bilateral cooperation and intends to resume JBC activities as soon as possible. Thailand is currently finalizing internal procedures, pending the formation of the new Cabinet after the General Election, and will communicate the proposed date and draft agenda for the next JBC meeting to the Cambodian side in due course.
• Thailand sincerely committed to achieving a mutually acceptable solution regarding survey and demarcation of the boundary in the interest of lasting peace, security and prosperity on both sides of the border.

2. Situation in Venezuela

• Following the recent escalation of tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela, the events of 3 January 2026 and noting that developments of the situation are still ongoing,
• Thailand has been closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela since before the events on 3 January 2026. Thailand continues to urge all parties involved to resolve the conflict peacefully with full respect for the United Nations (UN) Charter and international law, exercising the utmost restraint to avoid further escalation, while prioritising the protection of civilians and respecting the will of the Venezuelan people.
• The Royal Thai Embassy in Lima, Peru, accredited to Venezuela, has been coordinating closely with Thai nationals in Venezuela. At present, only one Thai national residing in Venezuela has registered with the Embassy, and this person was not affected by the incident. Nevertheless, should any Thai nationals in Venezuela who have not registered require assistance, the Embassy stands ready to provide all necessary assistance.
• Given the continued uncertainty of the situation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises Thai nationals to carefully assess the situation and reconsider non-essential travel to the area at this time.

3. The return of Thai Bronze sculptures from the U.S.

• On 6 January 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs attended a press conference marking the official handover of the “Prakhon Chai bronze sculptures,” which were repatriated from the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco in the U.S. The event was presided over by the Minister of Culture and attended by the Director-General of the Fine Arts Department, as well as representatives of the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok and other relevant agencies.
• The four bronze sculptures were initially discovered in the Prakhon Chai District, Buriram Province, before subsequently being displayed at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Los Angeles have been supporting the coordination between the Fine Arts Department and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and have worked closely with the relevant agencies to secure the return of the said antiquities. As such, coordination with the U.S. side to seek the repatriation of the antiquities has been ongoing since 2018.
• In April 2025, the Museum completed the de-accessioning of these four sculptures and coordinated with the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Los Angeles to proceed with their return to Thailand. On 8 December 2025, the Ambassador of Thailand to the U.S. and the Consul-General of Thailand in Los Angeles attended the antiquities handover ceremony in San Francisco. Subsequently, the Royal Thai Consulate-General made the necessary arrangements for the eventual return of the artefacts to Thailand.
• This handover of the antiquities is of great significance as they are archaeological evidence reflecting the prosperity of ancient communities in Thailand’s northeastern region. It demonstrates the Royal Thai Government’s commitment to tracing and repatriating Thailand’s cultural heritage from overseas, as well as the close cooperation among the relevant agencies in continuing efforts to recover other antiquities and return them to Thailand.
• The Ministry expresses its appreciation to the U.S. side, in particular HSI and the Asian Art Museum, for their cooperation in this matter. The Ministry reaffirms its commitment to working closely with the Ministry of Culture and relevant agencies to continue pursuing the repatriation of Thai antiquities from overseas back to Thailand.

4. A summary of overseas voter registration and the Constitutional referendum

• The Royal Thai Embassies and Consulates-General have opened registration for the general election between 20 December 2025 and 5 January 2026, and for the Constitutional referendum between 3 and 5 January 2026, for overseas voters.  
• The registration system is now closed, and we have registered more than 139,535 overseas voters, which is an increase of more than 21 percent from the last general election, while about 95,000 voters have registered for the referendum. The top five countries in terms of the number of Thai nationals and communities that are registered are Australia, the U.S., Japan, Germany, and the U.K. 
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs attaches utmost importance to ensuring that Thai nationals residing overseas can exercise their voting rights fully and conveniently by providing voting options, including booths at overseas missions, through mailing services and mobile units. 
• This will be the first time that the election and the referendum are conducted simultaneously. The Ministry has therefore undertaken proactive outreach efforts to enhance public awareness, and commends the Thai communities for their eagerness, resulting in the said 21 percent increase in registration for the election this time around.

Watch the full session at: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1KDXQomojP/