Thailand, Cambodia agree to de-escalate Gulf of Thailand seabed dispute

Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to reduce rhetoric and establish a navy hotline to prevent clashes over a contested seabed area in the Gulf of Thailand, valued at US$300 billion in potential energy resources. The UN-backed mediation panel at The Hague is facilitating talks, but the long-standing border dispute, which saw deadly clashes last year, remains unresolved. This de-escalation reduces near-term conflict risk but does not resolve the underlying sovereignty claims.