Thai and Cambodian leaders have agreed to renew a ceasefire after days of deadly border clashes, Trump says
Cambodia and Thailand will “go back to the original Peace Accord”, Trump announced on his Truth Social platform, following calls with leaders of both countries.
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WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Friday (Dec 12) that Thai and Cambodian leaders have agreed to renew a truce after days of deadly clashes had threatened to undo a ceasefire the US administration had helped broker earlier this year.
Trump announced the agreement to restart the ceasefire in a social media posting following calls with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet.
The Republican said that Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar played an important role in helping him push Thailand and Cambodia to once again agree to cease fighting.
“They have agreed to CEASE all shooting effective this evening, and go back to the original Peace Accord made with me, and them, with the help of the Great Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim,” Trump said in his Truth Social posting.
“It is my Honor to work with Anutin and Hun in resolving what could have evolved into a major War between two otherwise wonderful and prosperous Countries!” he added.
Trump's tone differed from that of Anutin hours earlier, who said the call "went well", but made no mention of an agreement between the Southeast Asian neighbours to stop the fighting.
Cambodia said on Saturday that Thailand continued dropping bombs on its territory.
"On December 13, 2025, the Thai military used two F-16 fighter jets to drop seven bombs" on a number of targets, the Cambodian defence ministry said in an X post.
"Thai military aircraft have not stopped bombing yet," it said.
This week's unrest has killed at least 20 people, with more than 260 wounded, according to tallies by both countries, which have blamed each other for reigniting the conflict. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced on both sides of the border.
Anutin said he had asked Trump to urge Cambodia to cease hostilities, withdraw troops and remove landmines.
"I explained to President Trump that we are not the aggressor against Cambodia but we are retaliating," Anutin told reporters.
"He wants a ceasefire. I told him to tell our friends - don't just say a ceasefire but they must tell the world that Cambodia will cease fire, withdraw its troops, remove all landmines it has planted. They must show us first."
A spokesperson for Cambodia's government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump's call to Hun Manet, who in August nominated him for the Nobel Prize.
Trump, who has repeatedly said he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, had lauded himself on Thursday as a global peacemaker who had "solved eight wars" and expressed confidence he would get the truce "back on track".
The original ceasefire in July was brokered by Malaysia and pushed through by pressure from Trump, who threatened to withhold trade privileges unless Thailand and Cambodia agreed. It was formalised in more detail in October at a regional meeting in Malaysia that Trump attended.
Despite the deal, the two countries carried on a bitter propaganda war and minor cross-border violence continued.
The roots of the Thai-Cambodian border conflict lie in a history of enmity over competing territorial claims. These claims largely stem from a 1907 map created while Cambodia was under French colonial rule, which Thailand maintains is inaccurate. Tensions were exacerbated by a 1962 International Court of Justice ruling that awarded sovereignty to Cambodia, which still riles many Thais.
Thailand has deployed jet fighters to carry out airstrikes on what it says are military targets. Cambodia has deployed BM-21 rocket launchers with a range of 30 to 40km.
According to data collected by public broadcaster ThaiPBS, at least six of the Thai soldiers who were killed were hit by rocket shrapnel.
The Thai army’s northeastern regional command said Thursday that some residential areas and homes near the border were damaged by BM-21 rocket launchers from Cambodian forces.
The Thai army also said it destroyed a tall crane atop a hill held by Cambodia where the centuries-old Preah Vihear temple is located, because it allegedly held electronic and optical devices used for military command and control purposes.
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