Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an immediate ceasefire, bringing a pause to weeks of heavy fighting along their disputed border. The decision was announced in a joint statement issued by the defence ministers of both countries on Saturday, 27th December.
Thailand and Cambodia agree ceasefire after weeks of deadly clashes https://t.co/5Qlw5AtGox
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) December 27, 2025
The ceasefire came into effect at 12 noon local time (05:00 GMT). Under the agreement, both sides have decided to freeze all troop movements and allow civilians living in border areas to return to their homes. The clashes over the past several weeks have killed at least 41 people and forced nearly half a million civilians to flee their villages.
The statement also said that if the ceasefire holds for 72 hours, Thailand will release 18 Cambodian soldiers currently in its custody. The release will be carried out in the spirit of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration, a previous peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia that was signed in October in the presence of Donald Trump.
The latest breakthrough came after several days of talks between Thai and Cambodian officials aimed at stopping the renewed violence. The ceasefire terms focus on de-escalation and include stopping attacks on civilians, homes, public infrastructure and military positions. Both sides have also agreed not to fire without provocation or move troops closer to each other’s positions.
This is not the first time a ceasefire has been announced between the two neighbours. The earlier agreement signed in October was broken earlier this month when fresh clashes broke out, with both sides blaming each other.
Thailand said its troops were responding to Cambodian fire in Si Sa Ket province, where two Thai soldiers were injured. Cambodia, on the other hand, said Thai forces attacked first in Preah Vihear province and claimed that it did not retaliate.
Fighting continued throughout December. Just a day before the ceasefire announcement, Thailand carried out air strikes on a disputed border area in Cambodia. The Thai Air Force said the strikes targeted a fortified military position after civilians had been evacuated. Cambodia’s defence ministry said the air strikes hit civilian houses and described them as indiscriminate.
The demolition of a Vishnu statue by the Thai military near the Preah Vihear temple area had drawn wide condemnation from Hindus worldwide, including the government of India.
Border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia go back more than a century, but the situation worsened in May this year after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash. In July, five days of intense fighting left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead and displaced thousands more people.
Following mediation efforts by Malaysia and Donald Trump, a fragile ceasefire was negotiated in late October. Trump called it the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords, which required both sides to pull back heavy weapons and allow observers in the disputed area.
Thailand paused the agreement in November, saying the security situation had not improved. The latest ceasefire now offers a fresh chance for calm along the border, with both sides expressing hope that the violence will finally come to an end.
