Clashes persist between Thailand and Cambodia, leading to fears of imminent danger. However, a temporary truce has been agreed upon following prolonged conflicts.
In the heart of Southeast Asia, a five-day conflict between Thailand and Cambodia came to an end with a preliminary peace agreement. The fighting, which erupted in July 2025, was centred around a long-standing territorial dispute near the Preah Vihear Temple, located along their shared border.
The conflict escalated into heavy military clashes, resulting in at least 43 deaths and the displacement of over 300,000 people. The clashes were driven by historical grievances, nationalist politics, and contested sovereignty over the region.
The outcome of the preliminary peace agreement involved a ceasefire, mediated with significant involvement from external actors, particularly U.S. President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Trump communicated directly with the prime ministers of both countries, urging an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and threatening to withhold trade agreements if the hostilities continued. Both Thailand and Cambodia agreed in principle to cease hostilities, with Cambodia explicitly declaring an unconditional ceasefire.
The two countries met in Malaysia for negotiations on July 28, 2025, facilitated by Anwar Ibrahim and attended by envoys from the U.S. and China. This meeting resulted in an agreement to an unconditional ceasefire scheduled to take effect at midnight the same day, effectively ending the active conflict. Thailand expressed cautious optimism, emphasizing the importance of sincere intentions from both sides and a preference for bilateral resolution over third-party intervention.
Despite the ceasefire, residents on the border, such as Chlit Kaeochan, a villager, have only heard about the agreement through social media. Chlit Kaeochan, like many others, believes the information given by the military over social media. The Thais and Cambodians, who are linguistically and culturally similar, have been affected by the conflict, with Chlit Kaeochan being one of them.
As diplomatic efforts continue to resolve the underlying territorial dispute peacefully, the preliminary peace agreement has halted immediate hostilities. The reader is advised to adjust their settings to access the full content of this article, as it requires JavaScript for its important functions.
The preliminary peace agreement halts immediate war-and-conflicts between Thailand and Cambodia, resulting from historical grievances, nationalist politics, and contested sovereignty over the region. The general news coverage highlights the importance of continued diplomatic efforts to resolve the underlying territorial dispute peacefully.
