Thailand and Cambodia agree to talks on disputed, energy-rich waters

BANGKOK -- The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia on Wednesday said their governments would discuss joint exploration for hydrocarbon resources simultaneously with maritime boundaries in a disputed, energy-rich area in the Gulf of Thailand.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and his Cambodian counterpart, Hun Manet, made the announcement in Bangkok. Dependent on energy imports, Thailand is eager to strike a deal with Cambodia to develop a contested 27,000-square-kilometer area in the gulf, estimated to contain 11 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and large oil deposits.