Following Thailand’s recall of its ambassador last week, the ruling Pheu Thai Party stated that Thailand is in the process of downgrading diplomatic relations with Cambodia. Analysts say Cambodia has little choice but to reciprocate.
Speaking at the Pheu Thai Party headquarters on Sunday, June 22, deputy spokesperson Khattiya Sawasdipol said Thailand is planning to lower diplomatic ties after a leaked phone conversation between Thai leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Cambodian Senate president Hun Sen last week, as reported by Thailand’s The Nation Thailand newspaper.
The Pheu Thai Party deemed the recording of the conversation inappropriate, while Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation stated it is an internationally recognised standard, as states must document meetings between leaders, especially on security issues, to ensure the accuracy of discussions.
Kin Phea, director of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said Thailand has acted this way since the era of the Sangkum Reastr Niyum (“People’s Socialist Community”) in the 1950s and 60s, notably after Cambodia won the Preah Vihear Temple case in 1962, when Thailand recalled its ambassador.
When Thailand claimed land surrounding Preah Vihear Temple again between 2008 and 2011, then-Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva also recalled Thailand’s ambassador, and diplomatic ties were downgraded to the consular level.
He said downgrading diplomatic relations means the warmth between the two countries diminishes, affecting cooperation in other sectors as well.
“Most of these actions are initiated by Thailand, and Cambodia always responds with diplomatic reciprocity. If they act in a certain way, we do the same. As a sovereign state, we cannot accept humiliation by allowing them to downgrade diplomatic ties while we maintain the status quo,” he said.
“If Thailand recalls its ambassador to downgrade diplomatic relations, Cambodia should also recall its ambassador, and at that point, relations would be at the consular level, no longer the ambassadorial level,” he added.
He noted that in such situations, both countries should seek to minimise the issue rather than escalate it, which would lead to mutual losses for both nations.
