Thailand Cambodia ceasefire took effect on December 27, 2025, following a bilateral agreement that ended weeks of intense border clashes claiming more than 100 lives and displacing over half a million civilians.
The agreement, reached during a special meeting of the General Border Committee (GBC) at a border checkpoint in Thailand’s Chanthaburi Province, took effect at noon local time on December 27. It commits both nations to an immediate halt in all hostilities, including the use of all weapons, no further troop movements or reinforcements, and protection of civilians and infrastructure.
Key provisions include:
- A 72-hour monitoring period to verify compliance.
- Thailand’s commitment to repatriate 18 Cambodian soldiers captured during earlier fighting in July, once the initial 72-hour period is successfully observed.
- Joint humanitarian efforts, such as demining operations along disputed areas.
- Monitoring by an ASEAN observer team alongside direct bilateral coordination.
Defense ministers from both countries – Thailand’s Nattaphon Narkphanit and Cambodia’s Tea Seiha – signed the joint statement, reaffirming commitment to prior agreements, including the July 2025 truce and the October Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords.
The U.S. State Department welcomed the ceasefire, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging full implementation of the earlier accords. China also expressed support, hosting follow-up diplomatic talks in Yunnan Province on December 28-29 to solidify the truce. Malaysia, as ASEAN chair, praised the decision as a step toward regional stability.
On December 28, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social claiming credit for the pause in fighting, stating: “I am pleased to announce that the breakout fighting between Thailand and Cambodia will stop momentarily, and they will go back to living in PEACE, as per our recently agreed to original Treaty.” While Trump played a role in brokering the initial July truce and its October formalization, the latest December agreement resulted primarily from bilateral military talks facilitated by ASEAN, with indirect international encouragement.
As of today, December 29, no violations have been reported by either side’s defense ministries, and displaced residents in border provinces have begun tentative returns. However, longstanding disputes over undemarcated territories remain unresolved, and analysts caution that sustained peace will depend on political will and effective implementation of de-escalation measures.
