Thailand and Cambodia agree to talks on disputed, energy-rich waters

PMs Srettha and Manet eye special border economic zones amid rights concerns

20240207 Thai Cambodia signing ceremony 1

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, right, and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet hold a signing ceremony at Government House in Bangkok on Feb. 7. (Photo by Hiroki Endo) 

FRANCESCA REGALADO, Nikkei staff writer

BANGKOK -- The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia on Wednesday said their governments would discuss joint exploration for hydrocarbon resources simultaneously with maritime boundaries in a disputed, energy-rich area in the Gulf of Thailand.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and his Cambodian counterpart, Hun Manet, made the announcement in Bangkok. Dependent on energy imports, Thailand is eager to strike a deal with Cambodia to develop a contested 27,000-square-kilometer area in the gulf, estimated to contain 11 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and large oil deposits.

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