Thailand’s Former Official Denies Secret Oil Talks

5 September 2011
The Cambodia Daily
Energy
Abhisit Vejjajiva / Bilateral talks / Cambodian National Petroleum Authority / CAmodia / CNPA / Gulf of Thailand / MCOT / news service / Oil reserves / Overlapping Claims Area / Sok An / Suthep Thaugsuban / Thailand

Thailand’s former Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban has denied Cambodia’s recent claim that he initiated secret bilateral talks over coveted oil reserves in disputed Gulf of Thailand waters, Thai news service MCOT reported Saturday. In a statement last week, the Cambodian National Petroleum Authority said Mr Suthep initiated the “behind-the-scenes” oil talks on orders from former Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, and met secretly with Cambodian officials despite ongoing border tensions between the neighbors. Talks between Cambodia and Thailand over the division of revenues from possible oil and gas production in the 27,000 square-km overlapping claims area have been at an impasse for years.