Thailand and Cambodia on Saturday agreed to a truce to halt weeks of fierce cross-border fighting, bringing an end to the most serious military confrontation between the two Southeast Asian neighbours in years.
The ceasefire, which came into effect at noon local time, follows nearly 20 days of sustained hostilities that included fighter jet sorties, rocket fire and heavy artillery exchanges along disputed border areas.
In a joint statement, Thai Defence Minister Natthaphon Nakrphanit and his Cambodian counterpart Tea Seiha said both sides had agreed to maintain current troop deployments without further movement.
“Any reinforcement would heighten tensions and negatively affect long-term efforts to resolve the situation,” the statement said, as shared by Cambodia’s Defence Ministry.
Heavy toll from weeks of fighting
The agreement ends a violent phase that has claimed at least 101 lives and displaced more than half a million people across both countries, according to official estimates. Large numbers of civilians were forced to flee border regions amid sustained shelling and airstrikes.
The clashes flared up again in early December after a ceasefire brokered earlier this year collapsed. That earlier truce had been facilitated by Donald Trump, who played a mediating role during a previous escalation in July.
Saturday’s agreement signals a renewed diplomatic effort to stabilise the volatile frontier and prevent further civilian suffering. Officials on both sides said the ceasefire would be closely monitored to ensure compliance and pave the way for longer-term dialogue.
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