Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an "immediate and unconditional ceasefire" effective midnight Monday local time (17:00 GMT). The breakthrough followed intensive talks in Putrajaya, mediated by Anwar in his capacity as ASEAN chair. Both nations committed to halting all hostilities, with Thailand’s Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet pledging to enforce the truce "in good faith". Military commanders will hold an emergency meeting Tuesday morning to coordinate withdrawal protocols, followed by a formal boundary committee session in Cambodia on August 4.
Five days of intense artillery duels, airstrikes, and ground clashes killed at least 38 people, predominantly civilians and displaced over 270,000 residents from border communities. Thailand reported 22 dead (14 civilians), while Cambodia confirmed 16 fatalities (8 civilians). Evacuees described dire conditions in overcrowded shelters, with Thai farmer Phum Sokhorn lamenting, "Staying here is miserable... we just wait for some little aid". Fighting persisted hours before the talks, including Thai allegations of Cambodian sniper deployments near ancient temples and Cambodian accusations of Thai cluster munition use.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to suspend trade talks with both nations unless fighting ceased proved pivotal. On Saturday, Trump warned he would not negotiate deals with "countries at war," leveraging pending 36% U.S. tariffs set for August 1. His intervention compelled Thailand, which initially rejected third-party mediation to attend the Malaysia summit. China and the U.S. co-facilitated the talks, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirming U.S. officials were on-site to assist. Hun Manet specifically thanked Trump for "decisive mediation" and China for "constructive participation".
Despite the agreement, tensions flared during negotiations. Thailand’s Acting PM Phumtham openly doubted Cambodia’s sincerity, stating, "We do not believe Cambodia is acting in good faith" as fresh shelling erupted Monday morning. Cambodia’s Defense Ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata countered, accusing Thailand of five consecutive days of "invasion with heavy weapons" to seize disputed land. The conflict, rooted in colonial-era border ambiguities, reignited in May after a Cambodian soldier’s death and escalated following a July 23 landmine blast that maimed Thai troops.
ASEAN will deploy monitors to verify compliance, though analysts warn troop withdrawals could take days. For displaced families like Cambodian Bai Dea’s. who fled leaving cattle unattended, the priority is returning home: "We don’t need to invade other country’s land. We just protect ours". Pope Leo XIV also appealed for peace, urging prayers for "children and displaced families". While the ceasefire offers respite, unresolved territorial claims around the Preah Vihear and Ta Moan Thom temples remain potential flashpoints.