Thailand and Cambodia Agree to Unconditional Ceasefire After Intense Border Clashes
At midnight on Monday, July 28, 2025, Thailand and Cambodia will formally stop fighting without any conditions. After tensions rose sharply along the disputed border, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who was a crucial player in the talks, announced the accord.
Midnight Ceasefire Announced Following Emergency Mediation
After urgent talks in Kuala Lumpur, Anwar said, “Cambodia and Thailand both agreed on one thing: an immediate and unconditional ceasefire will begin at midnight local time.”
The ceasefire is a welcome relief after five days of heavy gunfire that forced more than 200,000 people to leave their homes and caused a lot of damage in the battle zone.
Thailand and Cambodia’s Border Tensions Escalate
The fight is over a long-standing land issue in an area with many old temples. At first, it was a debate between diplomats, but it swiftly turned into a military conflict.
Both sides fired artillery, rockets, and guns at each other, which scared people in communities on both sides of the border. So, thousands of people left to find safety.
On Monday, things became even worse. Phumtham Wechayachai, the acting prime minister of Thailand, said that Cambodia was not negotiating in good faith. Maly Socheata, a spokesperson for Cambodia’s Defence Ministry, said that Thailand has been attacking heavily for the fifth day in a row, sending too many troops and weapons.
International Pressure and High-Level Talks
The ceasefire agreement followed growing global concern. A series of high-level meetings were held at Seri Perdana, the official residence of the Malaysian Prime Minister.
Notably, motorcades carrying U.S. and Chinese delegations arrived ahead of the talks. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump personally called both Southeast Asian leaders over the weekend. He later stated that both sides had agreed to “quickly work out” a truce after his intervention.
ASEAN and Malaysia Lead Regional Diplomacy
Malaysia was in charge of ASEAN at the time and played a big role in regional diplomacy. The U.S. State Department and a Chinese mission helped Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim get both countries to the negotiating table.
Because of this, the ceasefire is a big diplomatic win for Malaysia and ASEAN.
Path Forward for Thailand and Cambodia
Even though the truce is a good thing, analysts say that it will take time for Thailand and Cambodia to trust each other again. To keep the peace and make sure the region is stable in the long run, diplomacy, open communication, and involving a third party will be very important.
