After weeks of deadly clashes, Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced on Monday following high-stakes peace talks in Malaysia’s administrative capital, Putrajaya.
The ceasefire will officially take effect at midnight local time on Monday, marking a critical turning point in the most intense conflict between the two Southeast Asian neighbors in over a decade. The violence has claimed at least 35 lives and displaced more than 270,000 people.
“Both Cambodia and Thailand reached a common understanding,” Prime Minister Ibrahim confirmed after personally hosting the mediation session at his official residence. Ibrahim, who currently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), played a key role in brokering the agreement.
Monday’s ceasefire announcement came just hours after fresh fighting was reported, underscoring the urgency of diplomatic intervention.
Also attending the peace negotiations were the ambassadors to Malaysia from both the United States and China, highlighting the international concern and geopolitical significance surrounding the conflict.
A day earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking from Turnberry, Scotland, revealed that he had held direct conversations with both Thai and Cambodian leaders. He issued a stern warning, stating that the U.S. would suspend trade agreements with both nations if the hostilities continued.
“I spoke to both of the prime ministers, and I think by the time I got off, they want to settle now,” Trump told reporters. “I believe they’re starting to understand.”
Thai and Cambodian officials are expected to meet again in the coming days to reinforce the ceasefire and chart a path toward long-term peace.
