Thailand and Cambodia Schedule Talks Amid Escalating Border Conflict

Mon Dec 22 2025 17:24:38 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

High-level discussions set to occur as Thailand and Cambodia aim to establish a ceasefire amid renewed hostilities causing fatalities and displacements.

Officials from Thailand and Cambodia will convene next week to explore the revival of a ceasefire following three weeks of intense border clashes. Both nations have pointed fingers at each other regarding the resurgence of violence, which has resulted in at least 41 deaths and the displacement of nearly 900,000 individuals. Previous ceasefire arrangements brokered by the US have failed to hold, leading to renewed efforts for dialogue. The volatile situation has drawn attention from regional and international stakeholders, including the US and China, as both nations try to mediate peace.

Officials from Thailand and Cambodia will meet next week to discuss the possibility of reviving a ceasefire, Thailand's foreign minister said, as deadly border clashes entered a third week.

Both countries had signed a ceasefire earlier in July, brokered by US President Donald Trump. However, fighting broke out again earlier this month with both nations blaming each other for the resurgence of hostility.

On Monday, top officials from both nations convened at a summit in Malaysia, marking their first in-person meeting since the fighting resumed. Thailand's Foreign Minister remarked that the July ceasefire was 'rushed' due to pressure from the US.

'We were sometimes in a rush because the US wanted it signed by the visit of President Trump,' said Sihasak Phuangketkeow. A subsequent meeting between military officials from both sides is slated for December 24, a necessary precursor to any ceasefire agreement.

Meanwhile, at least 41 individuals have lost their lives and nearly a million have been displaced amid the renewed violence. The recent clashes have included heavy artillery exchanges along the approximately 800km border, along with Thai airstrikes directed at Cambodian positions.

The conflict has escalated to the worst levels seen between ASEAN member states since the inception of the bloc in 1967, adding pressure on regional cooperation. International mediation efforts by the US and China are underway as both seek to de-escalate the situation.

Failing to stabilize these tensions could have broader implications for peace and security in the Southeast Asian region. With both sides seeking to re-establish dialogue, international observers remain watchful for developments in this precarious situation.