Thailand is working to strengthen its position in the dispute with Cambodia over overlapping maritime claims in the Gulf of Thailand, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow held meetings with legal advisers to, "bolster," Thailand's position on the overlapping claims with Cambodia, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The announcement came after Cambodia this week launched a little-used compulsory conciliation process under the United Nations Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Cambodia's move followed Thailand's decision last month to unilaterally scrap a 2001 agreement with Cambodia that sought to develop a framework to jointly explore hydrocarbons in the disputed area in the Gulf of Thailand.
The area in dispute covers approximately 26,000 square kilometres (10,040 square miles) of sea is known as the Overlapping Claims Area (OCA) and is estimated to hold nearly 12 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and large quantities of oil with a value of about $300 billion.
The foreign ministry said the discussions also included, "Thailand's legal and procedural readiness for the commencement of compulsory conciliation under the UNCLOS, which had been prepared in advance for some time".
Thailand has consistently rejected Cambodian efforts to resolve disputes using international mechanisms, including the International Court of Justice, insisting instead on bilateral negotiations.
Last year, hostilities broke out twice between the two countries along their 817-kilometre (508-mile) border, killing nearly 150 people and displaced hundreds of thousands. A ceasefire has been in place since December.
(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng, Editing by David Stanway)