Thailand and Cambodia Sign Truce After Border Clashes Kill 101

Guns have fallen silent, but the border lines remain deeply contested. Thailand and Cambodia agreed on Saturday to halt weeks of fierce military clashes, the deadliest fighting in years between the two Southeast Asian neighbors. According to Reuters, the ceasefire took effect at noon on December 27, 2025.

A Fragile Peace After 20 Days of Bloodshed

The conflict, which re-ignited in early December, claimed at least 101 lives and forced more than 500,000 people to flee their homes. The fighting escalated rapidly, involving fighter jet sorties and heavy artillery barrages across the 817 km land border.

Thai Defense Minister Natthaphon Nakrphanit and his Cambodian counterpart Tea Seiha issued a joint statement pledging to maintain current troop deployments. Thailand also promised to return 18 Cambodian soldiers if the peace holds for 72 hours.

The Trump-ASEAN Diplomatic Push

The breakthrough follows intensive mediation by U.S. President Donald Trump and ASEAN Chair Anwar Ibrahim. While previous attempts at a truce had collapsed, a special meeting of regional foreign ministers in Kuala Lumpur earlier this week paved the way for the direct defense-level talks at the border.

However, the pact doesn't resolve the underlying issue. Both nations made it clear that the ceasefire won't impact ongoing border demarcation activities. The disputed areas, a source of tension for over a century, remain under the jurisdiction of existing bilateral mechanisms.