Bangkok: Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an immediate ceasefire to stop weeks of fierce border clashes that have killed at least 41 people and displaced nearly a million, according to a joint statement issued by both countries’ defence ministers on Saturday. The truce, which took effect at noon on 27 December, freezes troop movements along the frontier and allows civilians to begin returning to their homes.
Thailand’s Government Public Relations Department said in a post on X that the agreement includes joint landmine clearance and cooperation on cross-border crime, with observers from ASEAN tasked with monitoring implementation. If the ceasefire holds for 72 hours, Thailand will release 18 Cambodian soldiers currently in its custody.
Following the signing of the Joint Statement of the 3rd Special General Border Committee meeting, Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the agreement meets three conditions it considers essential for a durable truce: a formal declaration, verifiable adherence on the ground and a genuine commitment to clearing landmines. Bangkok also expressed condolences for Thai military personnel killed in the clashes.
The ministry said civilians will be allowed to return to border areas once the situation stabilises. It added that mechanisms for humanitarian demining will be established through a joint task force to ensure safe and transparent clearance before any future boundary survey and demarcation. Thailand reaffirmed that political will and continued military-to-military engagement are needed to sustain the ceasefire and urged Cambodia to demonstrate sincerity through “concrete actions.”
Border tensions between the two neighbours have simmered for more than a century but escalated this year, with deadly exchanges reported in May and renewed fighting in July. A Malaysia-brokered ceasefire signed in October under the so-called Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords stalled in November after Thailand said the security threat had not eased. Fighting intensified again in December, with both sides trading blame for violating earlier truces.
The latest agreement commits both countries to halt attacks on civilians and infrastructure and to avoid troop movements that could trigger further confrontation. The release of detained Cambodian soldiers, Thai authorities said, will take place “in the spirit” of the Kuala Lumpur declaration as a goodwill gesture once the 72-hour observation period is completed. Authorities hope the fresh deal will restore calm along the conflict-hit border.
