Bangkok: The Joint Border Committee (JBC) meeting between Thailand and Cambodia, held in Chanthaburi Province, has drawn significant attention as both nations tackle key border issues. As the media closely monitors the venue, an official announcement is still awaited, following the meeting initially scheduled to disclose results at 6:00 PM.
According to Thai News Agency, the meeting’s first agenda item addressed the Ban Nong Chan, Nong Ya Kaeo, Sa Kaeo Province situation, a subject of considerable public interest in Thailand. Although the area where Cambodians were expelled is under Thai sovereignty, Thailand’s decision to bring it to the JBC meeting underscores its commitment to transparency and communication with Cambodia.
The second agenda item involved Thailand’s plan to construct a border fence along markers 52-59, spanning 8.4 kilometers in Pong Nam Ron District, Chanthaburi Province. The construction, set to commence at markers 52-54, will feature a fence 3.5 meters high, combining prestressed concrete and galvanized steel mesh with alu-zinc, topped with concertina wire. A patrol road, five meters wide, will accompany the fence, funded by the “Hathai Thip Fund” under the Chulabhorn Foundation.
The Royal Thai Navy, along with the Chanthaburi and Trat Border Defense Command, Marine Corps Task Force, and local leaders in Thep Nimit Subdistrict, have surveyed the border markers to prepare for the fence’s construction. Additionally, the meeting discussed using LiDAR technology to gain mutual acceptance for surveying the disputed Thai-Cambodian border. This remote sensing technology employs laser light for creating a 3D terrain model, providing precise topographical data to establish natural boundaries and watersheds according to international standards.