US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said American officials are in Malaysia to help mediate talks between Cambodia and Thailand, in order to bring an end to the conflict between the two neighbouring countries.

“Cambodia and Thailand are scheduled to begin high-level talks in Malaysia shortly in hopes of achieving an immediate ceasefire. State Department officials are on the ground in Malaysia to assist these peace efforts,” Rubio said in a statement released on Sunday.

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Rubio also confirmed that both he and President Donald Trump are closely involved in monitoring the situation. “Both President Donald Trump and I remain engaged with our respective counterparts for each country and are monitoring the situation very closely. We want this conflict to end as soon as possible,” he added.

WHY THE TALKS MATTER

The meeting comes as tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have escalated. Both countries have blamed each other for launching artillery attacks across disputed border areas. Talks in Malaysia mark the first major diplomatic effort to ease the violence that escalated over the past few days.

The conflict intensified in late May when a Cambodian soldier was killed during a brief skirmish. Troops on both sides of the border were reinforced amid a full-blown diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand’s fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse.

Fighting resumed last Thursday and quickly turned into the worst military clash between the two Southeast Asian neighbours in over ten years.

So far, more than 30 people have died in the clashes, including 13 civilians in Thailand and 8 in Cambodia. Officials said over 200,000 people have been forced to flee from border regions to avoid the violence.

TRUMP THREATENS TO HALT TRADE DEALS

US President Trump said on Sunday that both Cambodia and Thailand had agreed to begin negotiations after he warned their leaders that continuing the conflict could hurt future US trade deals. However, Cambodia and Thailand each said the other had launched artillery attacks across contested border areas early on Sunday.

Trump revealed that he personally spoke with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai.

He said he made it clear that ongoing violence would jeopardize trade agreements with the US. “I told both leaders that if the fighting doesn’t stop, we will not move forward with any trade deals. We believe both sides want peace, and we’re doing everything we can to support that,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

As of Monday, the Cambodian and Thai leaders are scheduled to meet face-to-face in Kuala Lumpur for direct talks. The acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai will lead the negotiating team, the Thai government said in a statement. Talks are scheduled to begin at 3 pm local time (0700 GMT).

– Ends

With inputs from Reuters

Published By: Satyam Singh Published On: Jul 28, 2025

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SAMRAONG (CAMBODIA), (Bangkok Post), July 27: Thailand and Cambodia clashed for a fourth day Sunday, despite both sides saying they were ready to discuss a ceasefire after a late-night intervention by US President Donald Trump.

The neighbours, popular destinations for millions of foreign tourists, have been locked in their bloodiest conflict in years over their disputed border, with at least 33 people confirmed killed and more than 200,000 displaced.

Both said they were willing to start talks to end the fighting, after Trump spoke to the two prime ministers late on Saturday and said they had agreed to meet and “quickly work out” a ceasefire.

But fresh artillery clashes erupted on Sunday morning near two long-contested ancient temples in the frontier region between northern Cambodia and northeast Thailand, which has seen the bulk of the fighting.

Cambodian defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata said Thai forces began attacking areas around the temples at 4.50 am.

The regular thump of artillery rattled windows in the Cambodian town of Samraong, around 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the frontline, AFP journalists said.

Thai Army Deputy Spokesman Ritcha Suksuwanon said Cambodian forces began firing artillery around 4:00 am as the two sides battled for control of strategic positions.

– Ceasefire calls –

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on Sunday said his country “agreed with the proposal for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire between the two armed forces”.

He said his Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn will talk to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to coordinate with the Thais, but warned Bangkok against reneging on any agreement.

Earlier, after Trump’s call, Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said he had agreed in principle to entering a ceasefire and starting talks “as soon as possible”.

But he warned that Cambodia must show “sincere intention” to bring about peace.

A long-running border dispute erupted into combat this week with jets, tanks and ground troops battling in the rural border region, marked by a ridge of hills surrounded by wild jungle and agricultural land where locals farm rubber and rice.

Thailand says seven of its soldiers and 13 civilians have been killed, while Cambodia has confirmed eight civilian deaths and five military.

The conflict has forced more than 138,000 people to be evacuated from Thailand’s border regions, and 80,000 have been driven from their homes in Cambodia.

After an urgent United Nations Security Council meeting on Friday in New York, Cambodia’s UN Ambassador Chhea Keo said his country wanted “an immediate ceasefire” and a peaceful resolution of the dispute.

UN chief Antonio Guterres urged both sides Saturday to “immediately agree to a ceasefire” and hold talks to find a lasting solution.

“The Secretary-General condemns the tragic and unnecessary loss of lives, injuries to civilians and the damage to homes and infrastructure on both sides,” his deputy spokesman, Farhan Haq said in a statement.

Both sides have blamed the other for firing first.

Cambodia has also accused Thai forces of using cluster munitions, while Thailand accused Cambodia of targeting civilian infrastructure, including a hospital hit by shells.

The fighting marks a dramatic escalation in a long-running dispute between the neighbours over their shared 800-kilometre border where dozens of kilometres are contested. (AFP)

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Monday that the goal of upcoming negotiations with Thailand is to secure an immediate ceasefire following the deadliest border clashes between the two nations in over a decade. However, Thai officials voiced skepticism about Cambodia’s intentions ahead of the talks in Kuala Lumpur.

The peace negotiations, hosted by Malaysia in its capacity as ASEAN chair, come after days of escalating violence along the disputed frontier. Both countries blame each other for initiating last week’s clashes, which have continued into Monday.

“We are not confident in Cambodia. Their actions so far have shown insincerity,” said Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai before departing for the talks. “Cambodia has violated international law, but no one wants to see more violence, especially when civilians are caught in the crossfire.”

Cambodia has firmly denied targeting civilians and accused Thailand of endangering innocent lives. It has called for international condemnation of what it described as Thai aggression.

Hun Manet, writing on X, said the meeting’s objective was to implement a ceasefire agreement initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump and endorsed by both nations. He added that the United States and China would participate in the talks.

The U.S. State Department confirmed it would assist in the peace process, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying both sides appeared open to a resolution.

The conflict reignited following the killing of a Cambodian soldier in May, leading to heightened military activity and a severe diplomatic crisis that has tested Thailand’s shaky coalition government.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who offered to mediate, said he was coordinating the structure of the talks. “The priority is an immediate ceasefire,” he told state media Bernama.

At the heart of the long-standing dispute are several undemarcated areas along the 817-km border, including the Preah Vihear and Ta Moan Thom temple complexes. Although the International Court of Justice awarded Preah Vihear to Cambodia in 1962, tensions flared in 2008 when Cambodia sought UNESCO recognition for the site. Sporadic clashes since then have left dozens dead.

In June, Cambodia said it had approached the court to settle the ongoing border issues, but Thailand rejected the court’s jurisdiction, favoring direct bilateral talks instead.

Reuters/s.s

Thai and Cambodian leaders will meet in Malaysia for talks to end the cross-border fighting that has seen dozens of people killed.

The move comes after Donald Trump intervened, suggesting to the leaders of both countries that continued hostilities would harm their chances of getting a trade deal with the US.

He posted about the conversations on his social media platform Truth Social on Saturday and later said both sides agreed to meet to negotiate a ceasefire.

Later on Sunday, the US’s leading diplomat, Marco Rubio, in phone calls to the foreign ministers of both countries, told them Washington was prepared to facilitate talks and urged them to de-escalate and agree to a ceasefire immediately, the state department said in a statement.

At least 34 people, including 13 civilians, have died, while more than 200,000 have been forced to leave their homes to escape the fighting, now into its fourth day.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Sunday his country agreed to pursue an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire”.

He said Mr Trump told him that Thailand had also agreed to halt attacks following the US leader’s conversation with Acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai.

The Cambodian leader said it was “positive news for the soldiers and people of both countries”.

Thailand’s foreign ministry expressed cautious support, reporting that its leader told Mr Trump Thailand agreed in principle to a ceasefire while insisting on the need for “sincere intention” from its South East Asian neighbour.

He called for swift bilateral talks to discuss concrete steps toward a peaceful resolution, the ministry said.

But even as hopes for a lasting peace grew, hours later in the early hours of Sunday, each accused the other of shelling targets across the disputed border areas.

Read more:

Why have tensions escalated?

Clashes before, but this time feels different – analysis

In what appeared to be a sign of immediate progress, Malaysia’s state news agency, Bernama, quoting Malaysia’s foreign minister Mohamad Hasan, said the two leaders will open peace talks in Malaysia on Monday.

The two nations have been at loggerheads over border areas for decades and simmering tensions escalated into an exchange of gunfire, shelling and rockets on 24 July, with both sides accusing one another of initiating the violence.

Both countries recalled their ambassadors and Thailand closed its border crossings with Cambodia.

Relations between the pair deteriorated sharply after an armed confrontation in May that killed a Cambodian soldier. Nationalist passions on both sides have further inflamed the situation.

Both countries claim to own the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple along the border of Thailand’s Surin province and Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province, among other areas.

(c) Sky News 2025: Thailand and Cambodia agree to peace talks after Trump intervention – but shelling continues

A resident sits inside a bunker in Sisaket province, as Cambodia and Thailand each said the other had launched artillery attacks across contested border areas early on Sunday, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said the leaders of both countries had agreed to work on a ceasefire, Thailand, on July 27, 2025. Athit Perawongmetha | Reuters

Thailand and Cambodia on Sunday signaled their readiness to negotiate an end to a deadly border dispute following mediation efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump. The fighting, now in its fourth day, has killed at least 34 people and displaced more than 168,000. Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday that he spoke to the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia and suggested he would not move forward with trade agreements with either country if the hostilities continued. He later said both sides agreed to meet to negotiate a ceasefire.

Both sides agree to discuss a ceasefire

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said Sunday his country agreed to pursue an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire.” He said Trump told him that Thailand had also agreed to halt attacks following Trump’s conversation with Acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. “This is positive news for the soldiers and people of both countries,” Hun Manet said in a statement. He said he tasked his deputy, Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, to coordinate next steps with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and to engage directly with Thailand’s foreign minister to implement the ceasefire. Thailand expressed cautious support. Phumtham thanked Trump and said that Thailand agreed in principle to a ceasefire but stressed the need for “sincere intention” from Cambodia, the Thai Foreign Ministry said. Phumtam called for swift bilateral talks to discuss concrete steps toward a peaceful resolution, it said.

Both sides blame the other for the clashes

The fighting first flared Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes. Both countries recalled their ambassadors and Thailand closed its border crossings with Cambodia. Despite the diplomatic efforts, fighting continued Sunday along parts of the contested border, with both sides refusing to budge and trading blame over renewed shelling and troop movements. Col. Richa Suksowanont, a Thai army deputy spokesperson, said Cambodian forces fired heavy artillery into Surin province, including at civilian homes early Sunday. He said Cambodia also launched rocket attacks targeting the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple claimed by both countries, and other areas in a bid to reclaim territory secured by Thai troops. Thai forces responded with long-range artillery to strike Cambodian artillery and rocket launchers. Richa said Trump’s efforts to mediate was a “separate matter.” The battlefield operations will continue and a ceasefire can only happen if Cambodia formally initiates negotiations, he added. “Any cessation of hostilities cannot be reached while Cambodia is severely lacking in good faith and repeatedly violating the basic principles of human rights and humanitarian law,” Thailand’s Foreign Ministry said separately. Cambodian Defense Ministry spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata accused Thai forces of escalating the violence with bombardment of Cambodian territory early Sunday, followed by a “large-scale incursion” involving tanks and ground troops in multiple areas. “Such actions undermine all efforts toward peaceful resolution and expose Thailand’s clear intent to escalate rather than de-escalate the conflict,” she said. Thailand on Sunday reported a new death of a soldier, bringing the total number of fatalities to 21, mostly civilians. Cambodia said 13 people have been killed. More than 131,000 people in Thailand have evacuated to safe locations and over 37,000 people fled from three Cambodian provinces. Many border villages are mostly deserted, with many schools and hospitals shut.

Evacuees hope for a swift end to the fighting