KUALA LUMPUR, 26 October 2025– In a high-profile ceremony on Sunday, the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia formalised an enhanced ceasefire agreement, watched by US President Donald Trump as he arrived for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur. The accord builds on a truce reached after fighting in July between the two countries.
Mr Trump had intervened in July by calling the then-leaders of Thailand and Cambodia and warning that if hostilities did not cease, their trade talks with Washington could be jeopardised.
The new deal stipulates that Thailand will release 18 Cambodian soldiers detained during the border flare-up, and both parties will begin the withdrawal of heavy weapons and undertake landmine-clearance operations along their contested frontiers.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the agreement “creates the building blocks for a lasting peace”. In Cambodia, Prime Minister Hun Manet described the day as “historic”. Meanwhile, Trump commented: “We did something that a lot of people said couldn’t be done.”
The conflict between Thailand and Cambodia erupted in July when five days of intense hostilities along their approximately 800-kilometre border resulted in dozens of deaths and the displacement of more than 300,000 people.
Analysts say that while the agreement is a positive step, its implementation remains challenging. The vagueness of the border line and prior ceasefire violations mean that observers remain cautious. As one commentary put it: “The devil is going to be in the details of this agreement.”
The signing took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, where Trump is also pursuing trade and strategic ties in the region. His involvement underscores Washington’s wider interest in stability in Southeast Asia and signals the leverage the US may exert in regional diplomacy.
For Thailand and Cambodia, the broader benefits of peace include the potential return of displaced civilians, improved cross-border commerce and a more stable environment for long-term bilateral relations. The challenge now is turning the ceremonial agreement into verifiable action on the ground, landmine removals, heavy-weapon withdrawals and the return of confidence among border communities.
If enforced successfully, the deal may mark a turning point in what has been a long-running territorial dispute between the two nations. For now, the focus will shift to monitoring implementation and ensuring that the agreement does not become yet another unfulfilled diplomatic gesture.
