Preah Vihear board 'not on shaky ground'

It is widely misunderstood among academics in Thailand that the ICC would be set up to oversee the 4.6 square kilometres of disputed area, officials at the ministry said.

Joining the ICC would not mean allowing foreigners to run Thai territory, they said. The World Heritage Committee asked Cambodia to convene an ICC to safeguard and develop of the "property" no later than next February, inviting Thailand and not more than seven other international partners into the body.

If Thailand could sit on the body, it would benefit by participating in administration of the Cambodian temple, said Pisanu Suvanajata, the ministry's deputy director of East Asian Affairs.

The ICC is a policy-maker for development of the Preah Vihear, he said.

"We [Thailand] would have the chance to voice our concerns and protect our interests if we have representatives on the body," said Pisanu, who attended the meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Quebec, Canada, earlier this week.

"I see no loss from sitting on the body but benefit for Thailand from knowing how they run the site if, in future, we propose our adjoining part as world heritage," he said.

Thailand's World Heritage Committee, chaired by Pongpol Adireksarn, will explore the advantages and disadvantages before making a final decision in coming months, he said.