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By Peter Aitken
Politics Weekend Editor
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Thailand and Cambodia have signed a fresh ceasefire deal after hostilities erupted following the collapse of an initial deal agreed to earlier this year and signed in October.
The neighboring Southeast Asian nations renewed hostilities following a skirmish in which each side blamed the other of violating that initial ceasefire.
Defense ministers from each country met at a checkpoint on the border to sign the new deal.
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Why It Matters
The neighboring Southeast Asian nations have spent decades fighting over a 500-mile stretch of disputed border, which was demarcated by the French during their rule of Cambodia. Thailand has therefore argued the border is inaccurate.
Five days of fighting in July raised concerns of a widening conflict between the two nations, which led Malaysia to spearhead peace talks with help from the United States as President Donald Trump leaned on both sides and pressured them into agreeing to a ceasefire.
The peace deal was signed on October 26 in Kuala Lumpur, but just six weeks later the deal collapsed and fighting resumed. Trump once again said he would end the fighting, and last Friday said that "both Countries are ready for PEACE and continued Trade with the United States of America."
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What To Know
The peace deal signing followed three days of lower-level talks by military officials. Each side has claimed dozens of deaths in the latest clashes, with Thailand saying it lost 26 soldiers and one civilian as a direct result of fighting, while Cambodia said that 30 civilians have been killed and 90 injured. Cambodia hasn't issued any official figure on military casualties.
After the ceasefire holds for 72 hours, the new deal calls for Thailand to repatriate 18 Cambodian soldiers it never returned despite a stipulation in the original agreement mandating they would do so.
Thailand lodged a protest immediately following the agreement over a Thai soldier who sustained a permanent disability after stepping on an anti-personnel land mine, which Thailand alleges Cambodian forces had laid. In addition, the agreement calls on both sides to avoid the use of land mines along international agreements on warfare.
The provision specifically calls for "joint humanitarian demining operations to ensure the safety of military personnel and civilians in the border areas as soon as possible.”
The agreement also focuses on eliminating propaganda and disinformation, which complicated the aftermath of the first peace deal as each side engaged in heavy disinformation campaigns against the other side.
The agreement also calls for a resumption of previous measures to demarcate the border and cooperation in suppressing transnational crimes, specifically online scams perpetrated by organized crime and located within Southeast Asia.
What People Are Saying
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on X: "The United States welcomes the announcement from Cambodia and Thailand on reaching a ceasefire following the General Border Committee meeting. We urge both countries to immediately honor this commitment and fully implement the terms of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords."
Cambodia’s Defense Minister Tea Seiha to reporters after the signing: "Today’s ceasefire also paves the way for the displaced people who are living in the border areas to be able to return to their homes, work in the fields, and even allow their children to be able to return to schools and resume their studies."
Thailand’s Defense Ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri in a news briefing: "If the ceasefire does not materialize, this would indicate a lack of sincerity on the Cambodian side to create sure peace. Therefore, the 72- hour ceasefire beginning today is not an act of trust nor unconditional acceptance but a time frame to tangibly prove whether Cambodia can truly cease the use of weapons, provocations and threats in the area.”
What Happens Next
Provisions of the deal kick in after a sustained peace of 72 hours, after which the two nations will begin collaboration on a number of key points.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
Update 12/27/25, 1:15 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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