Thai, Cambodian militaries chart path forward after deadly border fight

[ad_1] BANGKOK, Thailand – Navy leaders from Thailand and Cambodia met on Tuesday to agree on particulars of a ceasefire, brokered amid stress from the U.S., that halted 5 days of lethal skirmishes alongside their disputed border.

Regional army commanders alongside the 800-kilometer border agreed to halt gunfire, chorus from shifting troops and set up direct bilateral communications, in keeping with a Thai military spokesman and a spokesperson from the Cambodian protection ministry.

<img data-chromatic="ignore" alt="Thai soldiers hold flowers received from supporters at army headquarters in Bangkok, July 29, 2025." class="c-image" loading="lazy" src="https://www.rfa.org/resizer/v2/UTWNVCMB3JGCBLTV7J4D5EPZ7Q.JPG?auth=9e17956a4e584d5e730f77629190e0cb01c04e2c00ed3ffcbdefd273d06395e9&width=800&height=533" srcset="https://www.rfa.org/resizer/v2/UTWNVCMB3JGCBLTV7J4D5EPZ7Q.JPG?auth=9e17956a4e584d5e730f77629190e0cb01c04e2c00ed3ffcbdefd273d06395e9&width=274&height=182 274w, https://www.rfa.org/resizer/v2/UTWNVCMB3JGCBLTV7J4D5EPZ7Q.JPG?auth=9e17956a4e584d5e730f77629190e0cb01c04e2c00ed3ffcbdefd273d06395e9&width=400&height=266 400w, https://www.rfa.org/resizer/v2/UTWNVCMB3JGCBLTV7J4D5EPZ7Q.JPG?auth=9e17956a4e584d5e730f77629190e0cb01c04e2c00ed3ffcbdefd273d06395e9&width=768&height=511 768w, https://www.rfa.org/resizer/v2/UTWNVCMB3JGCBLTV7J4D5EPZ7Q.JPG?auth=9e17956a4e584d5e730f77629190e0cb01c04e2c00ed3ffcbdefd273d06395e9&width=1024&height=682 1024w, https://www.rfa.org/resizer/v2/UTWNVCMB3JGCBLTV7J4D5EPZ7Q.JPG?auth=9e17956a4e584d5e730f77629190e0cb01c04e2c00ed3ffcbdefd273d06395e9&width=1440&height=959 1440w" width="800" height="533"/> cambodia-thailand-ceasefire Thai troopers maintain flowers obtained from supporters at military headquarters in Bangkok, July 29, 2025. (Chalinee Thirasupa/Reuters) Appearing Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Vejjayachai on Tuesday accused Cambodian troops of violating the ceasefire. The Thai authorities stated it had filed a criticism concerning the alleged violation to Malaysia, the U.S. and China.

Cambodia’s protection minister, Tea Seiha, denied the declare, writing on Fb that Cambodia’s armed forces has been strictly observing the truce. He stated the Cambodian protection ministry would lead a delegation of international diplomats to watch the border.

Native sources close to the border advised RFA that gunfire was heard periodically within the predawn hours on Tuesday. An Agence France-Press journalist close to the border stated the sound of gunfire stopped forward of the midnight deadline, a quiet that continued into Tuesday night.

Thailand’s Phumtham and Prime Minister Hun Manet of Cambodia appeared collectively on Monday to announce the ceasefire, brokered with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia, the annual chair of the ASEAN regional bloc.

The announcement got here amid stress from U.S. President Donald Trump, who stated that continued preventing might stall negotiations for a commerce take care of the U.S. Each nations face a 36% tariff on their items until a discount might be negotiated. After the deal was introduced, Trump stated he had spoken with each leaders and advised his group to restart talks.

A minimum of 43 folks have been killed and round 300,000 have been displaced through the preventing, which included jets, rockets and artillery.

<img data-chromatic="ignore" alt="Cambodian villagers sit under a tent at resettlement camp in Wat Phnom Kamboar, Oddar Meanchey province, Cambodia, July 29, 2025." class="c-image" loading="lazy" src="https://www.rfa.org/resizer/v2/4C3OHEMTXZCSDPYRVHHISAMDTU.JPG?auth=8f86cf0f77d2e941aa6ebb70a906c4e7395df82b41fb2e126330ed217a80421c&width=800&height=533" srcset="https://www.rfa.org/resizer/v2/4C3OHEMTXZCSDPYRVHHISAMDTU.JPG?auth=8f86cf0f77d2e941aa6ebb70a906c4e7395df82b41fb2e126330ed217a80421c&width=274&height=182 274w, https://www.rfa.org/resizer/v2/4C3OHEMTXZCSDPYRVHHISAMDTU.JPG?auth=8f86cf0f77d2e941aa6ebb70a906c4e7395df82b41fb2e126330ed217a80421c&width=400&height=266 400w, https://www.rfa.org/resizer/v2/4C3OHEMTXZCSDPYRVHHISAMDTU.JPG?auth=8f86cf0f77d2e941aa6ebb70a906c4e7395df82b41fb2e126330ed217a80421c&width=768&height=511 768w, https://www.rfa.org/resizer/v2/4C3OHEMTXZCSDPYRVHHISAMDTU.JPG?auth=8f86cf0f77d2e941aa6ebb70a906c4e7395df82b41fb2e126330ed217a80421c&width=1024&height=682 1024w, https://www.rfa.org/resizer/v2/4C3OHEMTXZCSDPYRVHHISAMDTU.JPG?auth=8f86cf0f77d2e941aa6ebb70a906c4e7395df82b41fb2e126330ed217a80421c&width=1440&height=959 1440w" width="800" height="533"/> cambodia-thailand-ceasefire Cambodian villagers sit below a tent at resettlement camp in Wat Phnom Kamboar, Oddar Meanchey province, Cambodia, July 29, 2025. (Heng Sinith/AP) Some locals, like Cambodian Soklang Slay, expressed wariness as they returned to their houses on Tuesday.

“I'm very involved that new preventing could get away. Thailand typically provokes the preventing first, however then accuses Cambodia. Their goals is that they wish to occupy our temples [along the border]. I actually don’t wish to see any new preventing occur,” he advised the Related Press.

Supalak Ganjanakhundee, an creator and former editor of the Nation newspaper in Bangkok who lives in his hometown in Kantharalak district, Sisaket province, was amongst these displaced. He needed to evacuate, he stated, and misplaced his cattle and his likelihood to reap ripe durian fruit.

“The current border skirmish between Thailand and Cambodia was mindless and served no actual profit to both nation. It did, nonetheless, serve the pursuits of the Thai army and Cambodia’s ruling household,” he advised RFA, referring to the spat between Hun Manet and suspended Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

“Politically, the battle has positioned the federal government of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on the point of collapse. The failure of coherent diplomacy has opened the door to exterior interventions — most notably by america and China — complicating an already risky state of affairs.”

To resolve their points long-term, he stated each nations should settle for the presence of worldwide observers to observe and confirm the truce’s implementation.

“On the similar time, they need to reactivate dormant bilateral mechanisms to deal with important problems with border safety and the long-overdue boundary demarcation,” he stated.