U.S. Push Secures Ceasefire Between Thailand and Cambodia Amid Border Clashes

 A rapid series of diplomatic interventions—culminating in a call from U.S. President Donald Trump—helped broker a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia this week, halting the most intense military confrontation between the two Southeast Asian nations in over a decade.

The breakthrough followed initial overtures by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and outreach from China, but Bangkok only agreed to peace talks after President Trump spoke directly with Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai last Saturday, according to Thai government sources.

Fighting erupted last week along a disputed 200-kilometre stretch of the Thai-Cambodian border, escalating decades-old tensions rooted in colonial-era boundary demarcations. Amid rising casualties and diplomatic fallout, the United States stepped in to prevent further deterioration.

Behind the Scenes Diplomacy

According to a senior Thai official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, Bangkok had initially resisted third-party mediation, insisting on bilateral talks. "We told [Trump] that we preferred bilateral dialogue before committing to a ceasefire," the official said.

Trump's intervention proved pivotal. On Sunday, he announced that both nations had agreed to meet and warned that the U.S. would delay tariff negotiations with Thailand and Cambodia until a peaceful resolution was in place.

As a result, both foreign ministries resumed communication, with Bangkok laying down conditions: the meeting had to be between both prime ministers and held in a neutral location. Malaysia, a key regional actor and current ASEAN chair, was proposed and accepted.

“The U.S. really pushed for the meeting,” said a second Thai source. “We want a peaceful solution to the conflict, and to demonstrate good faith, we agreed.”

Cambodia had already accepted Malaysia's offer to host peace talks, according to Lim Menghour, a senior official in Phnom Penh. He added that while Cambodia maintained regular communication with China—its close strategic partner—it welcomed U.S. involvement in resolving the standoff.

Talks and Truce in Malaysia

On Monday, Prime Ministers Phumtham and Hun Manet met in Putrajaya, Malaysia’s administrative capital, where they were hosted by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Following the talks, Anwar read out a joint statement in which both sides agreed to implement a ceasefire beginning at midnight and pledged to continue dialogue.

This diplomatic effort echoed earlier border conflict resolutions, particularly the 2011 clashes that required months of negotiation, largely facilitated by Indonesia during its ASEAN chairmanship. Unlike then, however, the current mediation involved active roles by both the U.S. and China.

Despite the agreement, the situation remains tense. As of Thursday, the ceasefire was holding, but neither military had begun scaling down troops along the frontier.

Long-standing Tensions and Recent Triggers

Border disputes between Thailand and Cambodia trace back over a century to French colonial maps from 1907. The latest tensions escalated in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a skirmish. The situation deteriorated further last week when a Thai soldier lost a limb to a landmine, which Bangkok accused Cambodian troops of planting—an allegation Phnom Penh has denied.

The ensuing violence led to a full-blown diplomatic row, with Thailand recalling its ambassador and expelling Cambodia’s envoy, prompting similar retaliatory steps from Phnom Penh.

U.S. Leverage Through Trade

Following the ceasefire agreement, both leaders expressed appreciation for President Trump’s involvement. Trump had earlier threatened to impose 36% tariffs on exports from both countries—leveraging access to the U.S., their largest export market, to push for peace.

While Thai officials did not comment on the status of tariff talks, Cambodian official Lim Menghour confirmed “positive developments” from Washington post-truce.

President Trump later announced that trade negotiations had resumed. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated on Wednesday that agreements had been reached with both Cambodia and Thailand, though details have yet to be disclosed.