Updated July 28, 2025 at 6:55 AM CDT
Cambodia and Thailand agreed to a ceasefire on Monday, set to start at midnight local time, after attending talks in Malaysia aimed at ending a 5-day border dispute that has left dozens dead.
The ceasefire came after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened both countries with higher tariffs if the fighting continued, and amid pressure from China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. However, even as the talks in Kuala Lumpur were underway, fighting was reported to be ongoing.
How did this border conflict start?
Cambodia and Thailand have long had a dispute over part of their shared border, which has resulted in sporadic eruptions of fighting from time to time — most recently in 2011.
Part of the problem dates back over a century to when French colonial powers mapped out the borders of the two nations. Both countries claim ownership of Preah Vihear, an 11th century Hindu temple on the border. In 1962, the International Court of Justice ruled that Preah Vihear fell within the sovereignty of Cambodia. Thailand rejects that, despite the ICJ repeating the ruling in 2013 and ordering Thai forces to leave the area. It's a heated topic for both Thai and Cambodian nationalists.
The latest bout of fighting flared up when a mine explosion on the border last week killed five Thai soldiers. In the past five days at least 35 people have been killed and thousands displaced. Each side blames the other for the escalation, with Thailand accusing Cambodia of firing rockets, while Cambodia accuses Thailand of carrying out airstrikes.
But tensions started before that, when a Cambodian soldier was killed on the border in May. An ensuing phone call between Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and former Cambodian strongman – and de facto leader — Hun Sen resulted in a huge political fallout.
Hun Sen leaked the call, where Shinawatra appeared to defer to him, criticizing one of her own military top brass. It caused an uproar in Thailand over the perception she was kowtowing to the Cambodian and saw Shinawatra suspended while a court investigates whether to dismiss her.
What was agreed in Malaysia?
Malaysian leader Anwar Ibrahim announced the ceasefire had been agreed, saying it was "a vital first step to a de-escalation and a restoration of peace and security." The ceasefire would start at midnight and on Tuesday, after it had taken effect, military commanders from both sides would meet, he added.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet — Hun Sen's West Point-educated son — thanked Trump and the Chinese government for their involvement in the mediation. He said it was time to "start rebuilding trust and confidence going forward between Cambodia and Thailand."
For his part, Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai also thanked Trump and said Thailand had negotiated the ceasefire in "good faith."
Over the weekend Trump called both leaders, threatening to pull out of tariff negotiations if fighting continued. On Sunday Secretary of State Marco Rubio also called for a swift end to hostilities.
Why does it matter?
Many analysts see the dispute as a test of which superpower has more influence in this strategic part of Southeast Asia; the U.S., which conducts joint military exercises with Thailand, or China, which is the biggest trading partner of both Cambodia and Thailand. Cambodia also has a naval base mainly funded by China.
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