The fighting began after a series of incidents, including the death of a Cambodian soldier in May and a Thai soldier losing a leg to a landmine last week. The violence escalated into exchanges of gunfire, rocket attacks, and artillery bombardment across multiple locations along the disputed border.

Thailand and Cambodia each accused the other of provoking the conflict and acted in retaliation. Thai authorities reported that many of their casualties were civilians in villages hit by rockets, while Cambodia said it had lost 13 people, including eight civilians.

The Thai army reported evacuating nearly 140,000 civilians to shelters across seven provinces, while Cambodia’s defense ministry stated that 135,000 people had been relocated from areas near the border. Despite the ceasefire talks, shelling reportedly continued on both sides during the negotiations in Kuala Lumpur.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet described the meeting as “very good” and expressed hope that the ceasefire would end the violence. He also noted Cambodia had called for a ceasefire since Friday, citing that its forces were outgunned by Thailand’s military.

International Pressure And Trade Leverage

Thailand initially refused mediation offers but shifted its stance after U.S. President Donald Trump declared that trade negotiations would not move forward “until fighting STOPS.” His ultimatum reportedly played a key role in pushing both sides to the negotiating table. Both nations are heavily reliant on exports to the U.S. and face a 36% tariff rate without a deal—compared to reduced rates already agreed upon with regional competitors like Vietnam and Indonesia.

Cambodia and Thailand also took separate economic actions amid the conflict. Cambodia banned imports such as fruit, power, and internet services from Thailand, while Thailand restricted cross-border movement. Reports indicated that hundreds of thousands of Cambodian workers had returned home from Thailand since May.

Anwar stated that ASEAN members, including Malaysia, would assist in monitoring the ceasefire. Both Thailand and Cambodia are expected to negotiate further terms, including potential mutual military withdrawals from the border.