In a significant de-escalation step, Thailand and Cambodia have agreed not to deploy additional troops along their shared border following a ceasefire agreement aimed at ending five days of intense fighting, according to a Cambodian official.
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Lim Menghour, Director General of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation at Cambodia’s National Assembly, told Reuters that the presence of international monitors is also crucial to ensure adherence to the truce.
Meanwhile, Thailand’s Finance Minister announced that the initial estimated costs of evacuation operations and property damage from the conflict exceeded 10 billion baht (~$308 million), and warned that the final economic impact could be even greater.
The ceasefire, which began at midnight on Monday, came after the most violent border clashes between the two nations in over a decade.
The agreement followed diplomatic efforts led by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who hosted the leaders of both nations in Malaysia. As the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Ibrahim facilitated the emergency dialogue.
At a joint press conference, Prime Minister Ibrahim said:
"There will be an immediate and unconditional ceasefire starting from midnight tonight."
He also confirmed that both countries had agreed to resume direct communication, describing the ceasefire as a first step toward de-escalation and restoring peace.
The two Southeast Asian neighbors have accused each other of triggering the clashes last week, which quickly escalated into artillery shelling and Thai airstrikes along the border.
The international community, particularly ASEAN, has called for calm and a peaceful resolution. Observers see the ceasefire as a fragile but hopeful turning point, with the potential for further diplomatic progress depending on both sides’ commitment to restraint and dialogue.
