Thailand and Cambodia agreed to an immediate ceasefire late Monday, ending five days of border clashes that killed at least 35 people and displaced over 300,000.
The agreement followed talks in Putrajaya, Malaysia, brokered by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim with backing from the United States and China.
#Thailand and #Cambodia agree to a ceasefire during ASEAN-hosted talks in Malaysia on 28 July. Acting PM Phumtham and PM Hun Manet led efforts to ease border tensions. Ceasefire takes effect at midnight, 28 July. #ThaiCambodiaBorder #ASEAN #Ceasefire pic.twitter.com/QidUEmewkJ
— PR Thai Government (@prdthailand) July 28, 2025
Fighting began Thursday after a landmine wounded Thai soldiers, triggering cross-border shelling and airstrikes.
“This is a vital first step to restoring peace and security,” Anwar said at a press briefing with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai.
According to a joint statement released after the talks, the ceasefire terms include a military meeting on Tuesday and a border committee session in Cambodia on August 4. The agreement also requires Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia to form a “mechanism for the implementation, verification, and reporting of the ceasefire.”
U.S. President Donald Trump said he pushed both sides to end the conflict, threatening to halt trade talks until the fighting stopped.
“I don’t want to trade with anybody that’s killing each other,” he told reporters in Scotland.
In a separate statement posted on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “By ending this war, we have saved thousands of lives. I have instructed my trade team to restart negotiations on trade. I have now ended many wars in just six months — I am proud to be the President of peace!”
Meanwhile, just hours after Thailand and Cambodia formally agreed to a ceasefire, fresh clashes reportedly broke out along their shared border, with fighting and explosions continuing into early Tuesday.
While Thailand’s strictly complied with the ceasefire agreement that began at midnight on 28 Jul, Cambodian forces have continued to attack into Thai territory. Thailand condemns the behavior and will act in self-defense as permitted under international law. pic.twitter.com/5F3sUyMZNC
— PR Thai Government (@prdthailand) July 29, 2025
According to a report by The Guardian, Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree, spokesperson for the Royal Thai Army, said Cambodia had attacked Thai territory “in several places” overnight, describing it as “a deliberate violation of the agreement, aimed at destroying trust between one another.”
Winthai said the Thai military had immediately ceased fire at midnight but responded to Cambodia’s actions. “I confirm that the Thai side did not use military force to invade, but to prevent encroachment and maintain national sovereignty under international rules,” he said.
According to Thai news outlet Nation Thailand, Cambodian troops harassed Thai positions in the Phu Makheua area overnight, prompting an exchange of fire. Further clashes were reported in the Sam Tae area of Kantaralak District and in the Ta Kwai Prasat area of Phanom Dong Rak District.
Meanwhile, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet stated in a Facebook post Tuesday morning that the “frontline has eased since the ceasefire at 12 midnight.”
