Thailand and Cambodia Agree to Immediate Ceasefire

UAE Moments

10 hours ago

Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, effective from midnight local time on July 28, 2025, following five days of the worst border clashes in over a decade.
The landmark agreement was reached during high‑level talks in Putrajaya, Malaysia, chaired by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, with participation from the United States.
At least 35 people were killed and more than 260,000 civilians displaced across both countries during the violence—making it the deadliest conflict in the modern era between the two ASEAN neighbours.
The clashes erupted after Thursday, when a landmine explosion killed five Thai soldiers.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet welcomed the truce, expressing hope it will allow displaced families to return home and rebuild normal bilateral relations. Acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai Thailand's desire for peace, remained cautious, saying that a ceasefire could only follow after Cambodia approaches the ceasefire talks with "sincere intentions".
As part of the ceasefire agreement, military commanders from both sides will meet Tuesday morning, and a border committee, to be hosted by Cambodia, will convene on August 4 to build a joint mechanism for monitoring and implementation. Defence and foreign ministers from Thailand and Cambodia will also resume the process.
The role of U.S. pressure, in particular from President Donald Trump, was widely credited with helping secure the ceasefire—Trump reportedly warned that trade negotiations and tariff relief would be halted unless a truce was achieved.
Despite the agreement, reports indicate that some clashes in the border areas even on the day the ceasefire was declared, underscoring the fragility of the deal and the deep-seated mistrust between the parties. Experts warn that without substantive dispute resolution and institutional trust-building, the ceasefire may prove vulnerable to escalation.