The decision comes barely two weeks after Thailand and Cambodia signed a joint declaration in Malaysia, witnessed by US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, to de-escalate a border conflict that flared in July.

That five-day clash killed dozens and displaced about 200,000 people on both sides, prompting Washington to threaten an end to trade talks unless the fighting stopped.

Thai Military Freezes Peace Declaration

Thailand suspended its peace declaration with Cambodia after a November 10 landmine blast in Sisaket province injured four Thai soldiers, one losing a leg. Defense Minister Sutin Klungsang said all terms of the deal were frozen, including the planned handover of 18 Cambodian prisoners of war.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ordered troop reinforcements and warned the accord could be revoked unless Phnom Penh addresses Bangkok’s protest.

The army said the explosion, the seventh in four months, occurred during a patrol near the border after troops discovered a barbed wire fence had been removed, prompting accusations that Cambodian forces had planted new mines.

Cambodia Rejects Mine Allegations

Phnom Penh “categorically denies the allegations,” insisting it “has not deployed and will never deploy new landmines.” Cambodia’s foreign ministry said it was “gravely concerned” by Thailand’s suspension but remains committed to implementing the accord.

Officials noted that much of the 800-kilometer frontier, particularly near Preah Vihear temple, remains littered with unexploded ordnance from wars in the 1970s and 1980s.

The defense ministry added that contact between local commanders had stabilized the situation, though it warned that continued Thai escalation could jeopardize cross-border cooperation.

Trade Leverage Ties Peace To Washington

The Kuala Lumpur Peace Declaration, signed in October and witnessed by U.S. President Donald Trump, laid out a schedule to withdraw heavy weapons and clear mines between November 1 and December 31 as part of a wider normalization plan.

The deal came after Trump threatened to cancel trade talks if clashes resumed, pressing Bangkok to finalize a new framework under which Thailand would lift tariffs on 99% of U.S. exports, while Washington would impose 19% tariffs on Thai goods with selected exemptions.

Thai diplomats described the Cambodia declaration as a reaffirmation of the July 28 ceasefire, now shaken by the renewed border tensions.