On this picture launched by Agence Kampuchea Press (AKP), Cambodian Protection Minister Tea Seiha, left, stands with Thai Protection Minister Natthaphon Narkphanit, proper, on the Normal Border Committee Assembly in Chanthaburi Province, Thailand Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025.
AP/Agence Kampuchea Press (AKP)
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AP/Agence Kampuchea Press (AKP)
BANGKOK — Thailand and Cambodia on Saturday signed a ceasefire settlement to finish weeks of armed fight alongside their border over competing claims to territory. It took impact at midday native time.
Along with ending preventing, the settlement requires no additional navy actions by both aspect and no violations of both aspect’s airspace for navy functions.
Solely Thailand employed airstrikes within the preventing, hitting websites in Cambodia as lately as Saturday morning, in keeping with the Cambodian protection ministry.
The deal additionally requires Thailand, after the ceasefire has held for 72 hours, to repatriate 18 Cambodian troopers it has held as prisoners since earlier preventing in July. Their launch has been a serious demand of the Cambodian aspect.
The settlement was signed by the 2 international locations’ protection ministers, Cambodia’s Tea Seiha and Thailand’s Nattaphon Narkphanit, at a checkpoint on their border after lower-level talks by navy officers met for 3 days as a part of the already-established Normal Border Committee.
The settlement declares that the 2 sides are dedicated to an earlier ceasefire that ended 5 days of preventing in July and follow-up agreements, and consists of commitments to 16 de-escalation measures.
The unique July ceasefire was brokered by Malaysia and pushed via by strain from U.S. President Donald Trump, who threatened to withhold commerce privileges except Thailand and Cambodia agreed. It was formalized in additional element in October at a regional assembly in Malaysia that Trump attended.
The Thai navy fires artillery in the direction of Cambodia, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, seen from Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province.
Wason Wanichakorn/AP
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Wason Wanichakorn/AP
Regardless of these offers, the 2 international locations carried on a bitter propaganda conflict and minor cross-border violence continued, escalating in early December to widespread heavy preventing.
Thailand has misplaced 26 troopers and one civilian as a direct results of the fight since Dec. 7, in keeping with officers. Thailand has additionally reported 44 civilian deaths from collateral results of the scenario.
Cambodia hasn’t issued an official determine on navy casualties, however says that 30 civilians have been killed and 90 injured. Lots of of hundreds of individuals have been evacuated from affected areas on either side of the border.
Both sides blamed the opposite for initiating the preventing and claimed to be performing in self-defense.
The settlement additionally calls on either side to stick to worldwide agreements in opposition to deploying land mines, a serious concern of Thailand. Thai troopers alongside the border have been wounded in no less than 9 incidents this 12 months by what they stated have been newly planted Cambodian mines. Cambodia says the mines have been left over from a long time of civil conflict that ended within the late Nineties.
One other clause says the 2 sides “agree to refrain from disseminating false information or fake news.”
The settlement additionally says beforehand established measures to demarcate the border can be resumed and the 2 sides additionally comply with cooperate on an effort to suppress transnational crimes.
That’s primarily a reference to on-line scams perpetrated by organized crime which have bilked victims all over the world of billions of {dollars} annually. Cambodia is a middle for such felony enterprises.
