On July 4, 2025, Mr. Phumtham Wechayachai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, who chairs the National Security Council (NSC), gave an interview summarizing the NSC meeting’s outcomes.
He stated that today, General Natthaphon Nakpanich, Deputy Minister of Defence, who serves as the coordinator and head of the Thailand Team within the Centre for Integrated Border Management (CIBM), reported on the current border situation.
Mr. Phumtham explained that the border remains tense, and all existing measures continue to be enforced. The NSC acknowledged the update and expressed appreciation for General Natthaphon’s continued efforts. The council resolved to delegate authority to General Natthaphon to oversee the Thailand Team and coordinate with the military command. He has been empowered to take steps to ease tensions, with the understanding that he will provide updates if there are any significant developments.
When asked whether there had been discussions about relaxing border crossing measures between Thailand and Cambodia, Mr. Phumtham said no such discussions had taken place. The current policies remain unchanged. However, General Natthaphon has been granted detailed operational authority so he does not need to report every action to the NSC. He already represents the government’s Thailand Team and has been tasked with seeking solutions in closer coordination with the armed forces.
Regarding whether General Natthaphon now has full decision-making authority, Mr. Phumtham clarified that while he has the mandate to explore options and propose solutions, any decision to open or close the border checkpoints must still be brought before the NSC for consideration, as the council retains the ultimate authority.
Additionally, Mr. Phumtham addressed the incident reported in a video posted on the “Army Military Force – Reserve” page, showing Cambodian soldiers carrying 1–2 machine guns attempting to cross into Thai territory before being intercepted by black-uniformed paramilitary rangers, resulting in a heated exchange but no violence. He stated that he was not yet aware of the incident, had not seen the footage, and had not received any official reports on it.