Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has announced plans to ask the Cabinet to prepare for the cancellation of MOU44, saying the agreement no longer delivers any benefit. The proposal would require relevant state agencies to begin legal and administrative preparations, rather than terminating the memorandum immediately. The move signals a possible policy shift with implications for Thailand’s long-standing international commitments.

Speaking at Government House at 10.00am on 10 February 2026, Anutin, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, said he would raise the matter at a Cabinet meeting. He explained that agencies would be instructed to prepare the necessary groundwork for cancellation in line with legal requirements. He stressed that the current government would not revoke the agreement outright without due process.

MOU44 refers to a memorandum of understanding signed between Thailand and Cambodia, formally known as the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding on the Area of Overlapping Maritime Claims in the Gulf of Thailand. The agreement set out a framework for the two countries to cooperate, refrain from unilateral exploitation and jointly explore and develop natural resources, particularly petroleum, in the disputed maritime area. It was intended as a temporary mechanism to manage overlapping claims while negotiations on maritime boundaries continued.

According to Anutin, MOU44 has remained in force for years without tangible progress. He said the agreement has failed to advance cooperation or deliver practical outcomes, making its continued existence unjustifiable. For this reason, he argued that keeping MOU44 serves no practical purpose.

When asked whether the Cabinet has the authority to cancel the memorandum immediately, Anutin said all actions must strictly comply with the law. He emphasised that the government would follow established legal and administrative procedures at every stage. Any decision, he said, must be defensible under both domestic and international legal frameworks.

Thaitabloid reported that the Cabinet is expected to assign relevant agencies to study the legal obligations, administrative implications and possible consequences of cancelling MOU44. Their findings will inform the government’s next steps and determine whether formal termination can proceed. Further consideration will be required before any final decision is made.

Key Takeaways

• Prime Minister Anutin has proposed Cabinet preparations to cancel the Thailand–Cambodia MOU44.

• MOU44 covers cooperation and joint development in overlapping maritime claims in the Gulf of Thailand.

• Any cancellation will follow legal and administrative procedures and will not be immediate.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now from Thaitabloid 2026-02-11

 

 

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In foreign news is written that Mr Anutin is mishandling the Cambodian crisis... So now again he shows that he is not willing to solve problems, but create more. It will bring Thailand further down...

"...The agreement set out a framework for the two countries to cooperate, refrain from unilateral exploitation and jointly explore and develop natural resources, particularly petroleum, in the disputed maritime area..."

What happens if, once MOU44 is cancelled, Cambodia then decides to act on its own?

Without it, Cambodia could argue it is free to pursue exploration or resource development independently, or in partnership with external players (for example, Chinese or Vietnamese firms).

This could raise several concerns for Thailand, such as maritime security incidents, investor uncertainty in the energy sector, and the risk of disputes escalating into legal or diplomatic battles.

So while Anutin says MOU44 "... no longer delivers any benefit...", the bigger issue is whether it opens the door for Cambodia to take steps that Thailand would find far more problematic.

In that sense, the move could be less about what just looks like domestic populism, and more about testing how far Cambodia is willing to go (and whether Thailand is prepared to risk that)!

It sounds more like he and his circle has something they want to do, whether it be developing certain resources or just boxing Cambodia further into a corner, but they're not saying what that something is or if it even exists. And this is a preliminary step. Cambodia is the weak sister in this situation; their military wouldn't last more than a couple of days against Thailand if things got serious.

It is thought that there are substantial natural gas reserves in the disputed offshore area. If Cambodia tried to drill a well out there the Thai Navy could quickly put an end to that project. Could the Cambodians do the same if the Thais started drilling? I suspect that they could not!

13 minutes ago, Enzian said:

It sounds more like he and his circle has something they want to do, whether it be developing certain resources or just boxing Cambodia further into a corner, but they're not saying what that something is or if it even exists. And this is a preliminary step. Cambodia is the weak sister in this situation; their military wouldn't last more than a couple of days against Thailand if things got serious.

I think that there will happen more .. Cambodia is a weak sister indeed, but how about other nations like China, Malaysia, and Laos.. Will they accept an attack on Cambodia??? And than I don't even talk about tourism of Thailand.. Cambodia will loose the attack, but is just a battle .. the war will be lost by Thailand...

7 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

the agreement no longer delivers any benefit

Not at present, perhaps. But he hasn't explained the reason for cancelling the agreement.

What are the drawbacks of keeping it in place......if any.

Memoradum of Understanding may be formal but it is non-legally binding. Just a shared intention to do something before a formal legal binding agreement or contract is officially signed. Don't really see the necessity to jump through hoops to cancel except for symbolism and for domestic consumption. The signatories of the MOU between Hun Sen and Thaksin may be the reason to rescind the MOU. If Cambodia is sincere about establishing good relationship with Thailand, the new premier Hun Manet should formalise a new MOU with the next Thailand premier. A lot of good for both countries to have a meaningful diplomatic and economic relationship.

It took about 12 years for the Thai-Malaysia offshore JDA (joint development authority) to be ratified, back in the easy days of Kriangsak Chamanan's tenure as a coup-enabled PM. It appears that none of his similarly grabby successors have bothered much with progressing Thaksin's idea of a similar, mutually beneficial JDA with Cambodia.

As for the oil and gas potential, it's really not that hot.

Troll post breaking forum rules removed @DeaconJohn

This is the 3rd time I have removed this posts from topic, do not try again!

More bull<deleted> nationalism with which to con the Thai people.