Nationalist groups rallied in front of a Bangkok hotel on Thursday as the defence ministers of Thailand and Cambodia held a General Border Committee (GBC) meeting, expressing concern that Thailand might be at a disadvantage in discussions over overlapping territory.

Protesters Fear Concessions to Cambodia

The demonstrators, led by the Students and People's Network for Thailand Reform (SPNTR), the Dharma Army, and the People’s Centre for Protection of the Monarchy, claimed they feared Thai Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai would make territorial concessions to Cambodia during the talks.

A protest leader, Anon Klinkaew, stated that the group had come to deliver a letter to General Songwit Noonpakdee, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, urging him to protect Thailand’s territorial integrity and resist any demands from Cambodia.

Protesters Allowed to Submit Petition

While the ministers met inside the Royal Orchid Sheraton Riverside Hotel, protesters relocated from Chamai Maruchet Bridge to the hotel’s front entrance.

Security was tight, with a company of commando police and officers from Bang Rak and Plubplachai 2 police stations deployed to maintain order. Police requested that protest leaders refrain from using loudspeakers to avoid disrupting the meeting.

Eventually, protesters were allowed to submit their letter to Lieutenant General Nattapong Praokaew, Commander of the Territory Defence Department, who accepted it on behalf of General Songwit.

Officials Clarify: Border Talks Not on GBC Agenda

Lt Gen Nattapong assured the protesters that the GBC meeting focused solely on general border security issues, such as cross-border pollution and crime. He stressed that the boundary issue—the central concern of the protesters—was not on the GBC agenda.
Instead, he clarified that boundary-related discussions would be handled by the Joint Boundary Committee (JBC), a separate body specifically tasked with addressing such matters.

Nattapong reiterated the military’s commitment to defending Thailand’s territorial sovereignty.

Asia News Network/The Nation