Thailand-Cambodia clash: Malaysia to host peace talks as countries still engaged in fighting

Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet will meet on Monday (July 28) in Malaysia for peace talks over their border conflict, Bangkok said on Sunday (July 27). The Thai premier's office said the talks would be hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister and ASEAN chair Anwar Ibrahim, with Mr. Hun Manet, Prime Minister of Cambodia, to personally travel for talks.

On Saturday (July 26), Thailand announced that it has agreed in principle to a ceasefire with Cambodia and proposed opening a “bilateral talk” to end the worst border violence between the two Southeast Asian nations in over a decade. The announcement came as heavy artillery exchanges between Thai and Cambodian forces continued for a third consecutive day, pushing the death toll to at least 33 and displacing more than 150,000 people. The fighting has expanded across the frontier, raising fears of a wider conflict.

“Thailand agrees in principle to have a ceasefire in place,” the Thai foreign ministry said in a statement on X. The move followed a post by US President Donald Trump, who said he had spoken with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. Trump claimed that both sides had agreed to meet and “quickly work out” a ceasefire.

The Thai foreign ministry confirmed the call between Trump and Phumtham, and added that Thailand “would like to see sincere intention from the Cambodian side” before any truce could take effect. According to the statement, Phumtham urged Trump to convey to Cambodia that Thailand wants to hold direct talks at the earliest to establish clear measures and procedures for a ceasefire, with the aim of reaching a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

The fighting intensified on Saturday in coastal areas near the Gulf of Thailand—about 250 kilometres southwest of the main conflict zone—marking a concerning spread beyond the disputed northern border. The crisis was triggered by a long-standing territorial dispute over ancient temple sites straddling the Thai-Cambodian border. What started as a localised confrontation earlier this week has rapidly escalated into open combat involving warplanes, tanks, and ground troops. The contested region is a remote, rugged landscape of jungle-covered hills and farmland where rubber and rice are cultivated by communities now caught in the crossfire.