Thailand’s accord withdrawal draws no U.S. penalty, Anutin says after high-level calls

BANGKOK, THAILAND: Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has sought to reassure the public that Thailand’s temporary suspension of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord with Cambodia won’t interfere with ongoing trade negotiations with the United States.

Speaking on his personal Facebook page on Sunday, Anutin shared details of a phone call with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who also serves as the ASEAN chair. During their conversation, Anwar passed along a message from US President Donald Trump stressing the urgent need for humanitarian de-mining in border areas affected by the accord.

“President Trump shares my position that humanitarian de-mining is a critical issue in the accord jointly signed by Thailand and Cambodia. He has therefore requested the Thai government expedite mine-clearance operations as quickly as possible, as the remaining mines pose a grave danger to people in both countries,” Anutin wrote. “President Trump also asked Prime Minister Anwar to convey to me, once again, his confirmation that: ‘The United States will not link Thailand’s suspension of the accord to the ongoing trade tariff negotiations between Thailand and the United States.'”

Anutin added that this update overrides a previous letter from the US Trade Representative, which was issued before his call with President Trump on November 14.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also shared on Facebook that his discussions with Trump, Anutin, and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet reaffirmed their shared commitment to fully implementing the peace accord. He emphasised that de-mining work should move forward on its own, without being tied to trade issues.

Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas confirmed that trade talks with the US would continue as planned. He explained that the USTR letter may have come before the prime minister spoke with President Trump. He also assured that negotiating teams will keep working within the existing framework, and that he’s confident everything will proceed smoothly. With these measures, Thailand can build confidence with both the US government and American businesses.