Trump: Thailand and Cambodia Agree to Immediate Ceasefire Talks
Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to “immediately meet” to discuss a ceasefire, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced after speaking with the leaders of both nations amid ongoing border clashes entering their third straight day.
In a series of social media posts, Trump said, “Both parties are looking for an immediate ceasefire and peace,” adding that the U.S. would withhold trade negotiations with either country until hostilities cease.
The conflict has displaced over 150,000 people and marks the deadliest fighting between the two Southeast Asian neighbors in over a decade. At least 10 people have been killed in Thailand and 13 in Cambodia.
Violence intensified on Saturday as clashes spread further along the border, with new fighting erupting in Thailand’s coastal Trat province and Cambodia’s Pursat province—areas more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the previously affected zones.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump said: “Just spoke to the Prime Minister of Cambodia relative to stopping the war with Thailand. I am trying to simplify a complex situation!” Shortly afterward, he added: “I have just spoken to the Acting Prime Minister of Thailand, and it was a very good conversation. Thailand, like Cambodia, wants to have an immediate ceasefire and PEACE. I am now going to relay that message back to the Prime Minister of Cambodia.”
Trump later confirmed that both leaders had agreed to meet immediately to negotiate an end to the fighting.
“They are also eager to resume trade talks with the United States, but we believe it’s inappropriate to proceed until the conflict ends,” he added. Both countries are currently facing the prospect of a 36% U.S. tariff scheduled to take effect on August 1.
International calls for a ceasefire have mounted since violent clashes broke out Thursday over a longstanding border dispute, escalating quickly into exchanges involving artillery and airstrikes. The UN Secretary-General urged both sides to exercise “utmost restraint,” while Malaysia—chair of the regional bloc including both countries—called for a ceasefire and offered to mediate. China also voiced concern over the situation.
At a closed-door emergency meeting in New York on Friday, Cambodia’s UN Ambassador, Chhea Keo, called for an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire.” Thailand’s UN envoy, Cherdchai Chaivaivid, urged Cambodia to “immediately cease all hostilities and acts of aggression, and resume dialogue in good faith.”
On Saturday morning, Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence accused Thailand of firing five heavy artillery shells into Pursat province, labeling the move an “unprovoked and premeditated act of aggression.” In response, Thai officials said Cambodian forces had initiated an attack in Trat province and that Thai naval forces repelled the incursion by 5:40 a.m.
The territorial dispute, rooted in conflicting interpretations of colonial-era maps, has simmered for decades. Tensions spiked in May after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a brief skirmish. This week, Thai soldiers were reportedly injured by newly planted landmines—an accusation Cambodia denies.
In a sharp escalation, Thailand recalled its ambassador from Phnom Penh and announced plans to expel Cambodia’s envoy from Bangkok. Fighting erupted at multiple points along the border on Thursday morning, with both countries blaming each other for starting the violence and for breaching international norms.
Thailand has reported 20 deaths so far, including 13 civilians and 7 soldiers, with an additional 59 people wounded. Cambodia’s death toll stands at 13, including 5 soldiers and 8 civilians.
Thailand’s health ministry said over 138,000 residents have been evacuated from its border regions, with displaced families sheltering in schools, temples, and municipal centers. Cambodian officials report more than 23,000 people have fled their homes near the border.
Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images
Earlier, Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai warned that the escalating border conflict risked spiraling into full-scale war.
“If the situation worsens, it could develop into war,” he told reporters in Bangkok. He emphasized that, for now, the violence remained confined to localized clashes, adding that Thailand was taking necessary steps to “protect our land and the sovereignty of our nation.”
Both sides have continued to exchange accusations over the latest round of violence. Thai officials claim Cambodian forces deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure, including a hospital struck by shellfire and a petrol station hit by at least one rocket. In turn, Cambodia has accused Thailand of deploying banned cluster munitions. Several sections of the 800-kilometer (500-mile) border remain disputed, with conflict zones spread across dozens of kilometers. Previous fighting between 2008 and 2011 left at least 28 dead and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.
Tensions have been further inflamed by a personal feud between the fathers of both prime ministers. Cambodia’s long-time former leader Hun Sen—who passed power to his son Hun Manet in 2023—and Thailand’s ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, whose daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra became prime minister in 2024, are both still deeply influential in their respective countries. Once close allies, the two elder statesmen are now locked in a bitter dispute, trading insults and accusations on social media platforms.
On Saturday, Thaksin visited Ubon Ratchathani province in northeastern Thailand, where he dismissed suggestions that the personal rift between the two families had triggered the violence. According to local media, he condemned Cambodia’s military actions as “appalling,” and insisted that Thai military responses had followed strict protocols, targeting only legitimate military objectives.
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