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President Donald Trump announced on Friday that Thailand and Cambodia have reached an agreement to cease fighting along their disputed border, which has resulted in at least 20 fatalities this week. The ongoing conflict, rooted in a long-standing dispute over colonial-era border lines, has displaced approximately 500,000 people across both nations.
Trump stated that he had a productive discussion with Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet about the conflict. He mentioned that both leaders agreed to stop all gunfire effective that evening and to revert to the original peace accord established in July, with the assistance of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The U.S. president expressed optimism about renewed trade relations and peace, thanking Anwar for his support.
Following the call, Anutin emphasized Cambodia’s commitment to following the ceasefire, asserting that violations needed to be addressed by the offending side, and indicated that the discussion with Trump had gone well.
The ceasefire in July was brokered by the United States, China, and Malaysia, with ASEAN acting as regional mediator. Despite initial progress and a joint declaration supported by Trump, which aimed to extend the truce and promote bilateral trade, the agreement was suspended by Thailand last month after Thai soldiers were wounded by landmines at the border.
Local residents in the border regions expressed diverse opinions. In Buriram province, farmer Jirasan Kongchan favored direct dialogue between Thailand and Cambodia rather than foreign intervention, suggesting sanctions if violations occur again. In Banteay Meanchey, Cambodian evacuee Choeun Samnang welcomed Trump’s involvement, hoping for lasting peace and opposing war between the nations.
At the White House the previous day, Trump highlighted his role in resolving multiple conflicts, while signaling ongoing efforts to stabilize the situation with Thailand and Cambodia through further communication. Meanwhile, Thai officials indicated that Trump had assured Thailand it would receive better trade benefits than other nations, even though there were no immediate plans to link new trade negotiations directly to the border dispute.
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