President Donald Trump announced Friday evening that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to a ceasefire, but Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul swiftly rejected the claim, vowing to continue military operations as F-16 fighter jets dropped seven bombs on Cambodian targets Saturday morning. The public rebuke marks another diplomatic setback for Trump, who has repeatedly claimed credit for resolving multiple international conflicts since returning to office in January 2025.
The six-day border war has killed at least 20 people and displaced more than 600,000 civilians since fighting resumed December 7. Thailand dissolved parliament Thursday, calling snap elections within 45 to 60 days as nationalist sentiment over the conflict boosts Anutin’s flagging approval ratings.
Trump posted on Truth Social Friday that he had spoken with both Anutin and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, stating they “agreed to CEASE all shooting effective this evening” and return to a peace accord signed in October. Neither leader confirmed any agreement in their post-call statements.
“Thailand will continue to perform military actions until we feel no more harm and threats to our land and people,” Anutin wrote on Facebook Saturday. Hours after Trump’s announcement, Thai F-16s struck three targets along the border, according to Cambodia’s Defense Ministry and Thai military officials.
Hun Manet referenced his conversation with Trump but emphasized Cambodia was “still pursuing a peaceful resolution” rather than confirming a ceasefire. He urged the United States and Malaysia to use satellite intelligence to “verify which side fired first” in the December 7 incident that reignited hostilities.
Political Stakes in Thailand
Anutin dissolved parliament Thursday after a legislative deadlock with the opposition People’s Party, which had threatened a no-confidence vote. Political analysts suggest the border conflict has provided political cover for the embattled prime minister, whose approval had fallen due to economic stagnation and flood mismanagement.
Malaysia, as current ASEAN chair, proposed deploying observers backed by U.S. satellite monitoring and called for a ceasefire by 10 p.m. Saturday. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who helped broker the original July ceasefire, warned the renewed fighting “risks unravelling the careful work that has gone into stabilising relations between the two neighbours”.
The territorial dispute stems from a 1907 colonial-era map that Thailand has never fully accepted, particularly regarding ancient temples including Preah Vihear. The International Court of Justice awarded Cambodia sovereignty over the temple area in 1962, but periodic clashes have continued for decades.
