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Thailand, Cambodia reach 'unconditional, immediate' ceasefire

Global Times

By Chen Qingqing Published: Jul 28, 2025 11:50 PM

Thailand and Cambodia agreed on Monday to an "immediate and unconditional" ceasefire to end their border clashes starting midnight on Monday, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said, as the leaders of the two countries met in Malaysia after their border conflict entered the fifth day, according to media reports.

According to the CNN, the nations will convene a meeting of regional commanders from the Cambodian and Thai sides on Tuesday, citing Malaysian side, which mediated the peace talks as the current chair of the ASEAN.

As part of the ceasefire agreement, Thailand and Cambodia will also resume direct communications between their prime ministers, foreign minister and defense ministers, according to the BBC.

The defense and foreign ministers of Malaysia, Cambodia and Thailand have also been asked to set up a "detailed mechanism" for the "implementation, verification and reporting of the ceasefire", according to a press release published after this afternoon's talks, per BBC.

Notably, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand's acting prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai both thanked US President Donald Trump and the Chinese government in their brief comments during the press conference, the BBC reported.

According to BBC, Phumtham Wechayachai said the ceasefire was negotiated by his country "in good faith" and that Thailand is committed to peace, while Hun Manet said that it's a time to "start rebuilding trust and confidence going forward between Cambodia and Thailand."

Before the meeting, the ASEAN foreign ministers released a joint statement Monday morning, calling on both sides to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from taking any actions that may undermine ceasefire efforts, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Armed clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers over disputed border areas have entered the fifth day as more than 100 people have been killed or injured with thousands evacuated on both sides, according to figures provided by the two countries, Xinhua said.

China is deeply saddened by the casualties inflicted on both sides and expresses heartfelt sympathies. We hope both sides will bear in mind the interests of the two peoples, cherish peace and good-neighborliness, exercise calm and restraint, come to a ceasefire as soon as possible, settle differences peacefully through dialogue and consultation, and restore peace and stability along the border soon, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday in response to the border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand.

Both Cambodia and Thailand are important members of ASEAN. ASEAN has been working intensively for days to bring about a ceasefire between the two sides. China commends it and welcomes all efforts conducive to de-escalation. China will maintain its fair and impartial position and continue having close communication with both sides, actively facilitate talks for peace and play a constructive role for a ceasefire, Guo said.

Some Chinese observers welcomed the latest progress made by Thailand and Cambodia as both countries are members of ASEAN, and believed Malaysia, as the current ASEAN chair, hopes to maintain internal unity during the mediation.

Also, the international community, including China, the UN, and the US, has pushed for a ceasefire and encouraged both sides to halt the conflict, they said.

But the ceasefire is just the first step, and the key issue moving forward is whether both sides can truly return to the path of dialogue and negotiation, an observer said, noting that after all, the border dispute has lasted for over a century, and Thailand and Cambodia differ in their approach to resolving the dispute.

Mediation efforts

In a Facebook post published following the ceasefire talk, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said the ceasefire was a "brilliant result" which is an important step toward reducing tensions and restoring peace and security.

Acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said Thailand had agreed to the ceasefire that would "be carried out successfully in good faith by both sides," Reuters said.

The leaders indicated that fighting will stop immediately, even as clashes continued in the hours before the peace talks, CNN said. Cambodian authorities accused Thailand of striking at least two locations in the early hours, while the Thai army said clashes were taking place in three provinces on Monday morning, according to CNN.

Following the agreed ceasefire, the most important issue is whether Thailand and Cambodia can truly continue negotiations, Ge Hongliang, deputy director of the College of ASEAN Studies at Guangxi University for Nationalities, told the Global Times on Monday.

"How to ensure both sides withdraw their troops and avoid further deployment of large-scale military forces and weapons in the border area and territorial waters is crucial. Only after maintaining a certain distance at the border can conditions be created for genuine dialogue between the two sides," Ge said.

The recent conflict between Thailand and Cambodia is not the first of its kind, Song Zhongping, a military affairs expert told the Global Times on Monday.

"Although this clash is somewhat larger in scale, their tensions have deep historical roots, going back to unresolved issues left behind from the French colonial era. Therefore, this conflict cannot be resolved through a single battle," Song said, noting that a ceasefire is both the will of the people and the prevailing trend.

The complexity of this conflict lies not only in the divergence of positions, but also in its deep roots in nearly a century of historical disputes, Ge noted.

"While a ceasefire is an essential first step, preventing similar conflicts from happening again will require both sides to engage in deeper dialogue and cooperation to address the more fundamental and complicated issues at play," he said.

In a meeting with Kao Kim Hourn, secretary-general of ASEAN, on Friday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the recent clashes on the border between Cambodia and Thailand that caused casualties are deeply distressing.

China - a common friend and neighbor to both nations - stands ready to maintain an impartial position and continue playing a constructive role in de-escalating tensions, Wang said.