Clashes escalate on Thailand-Cambodia border: Airstrikes signal fragility of Trump-brokered ceasefire

Thailand carried out airstrikes on Cambodian territory on December 8, 2025, sparking fears that a US-brokered peace deal signed just two months earlier was falling apart. The attacks, carried out using F-16 jets, targeted military targets near Preah Vihear and Odar Meanchey provinces. The attacks were in retaliation for clashes in Ubon Ratchathani and Sisaket provinces, in which one Thai soldier was killed and four others were injured. Cambodia denied initiating the firing, accused Thai forces of launching an unprovoked morning attack, and said its forces did not retaliate. According to reports, four Cambodian civilians have also been killed amid accusations against each other over ceasefire violations.

The October 26, 2025 “Kuala Lumpur Peace Agreement”—a joint declaration by Cambodian PM Hun Manet and Thai PM Anutin Charnvirakul—extends the July 28 ceasefire that ended five days of deadly fighting that left more than 40 people dead and 300,000 displaced. The agreement, brokered by US President Donald Trump and Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim during the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur, made commitments to reduce tensions: the establishment of ASEAN observer teams, the phased withdrawal of heavy weapons, the removal of landmines and the release of 18 Cambodian prisoners of war held by Thailand. Trump called it “historic,” linking it to U.S. trade agreements—a reciprocity agreement with Cambodia and a mineral partnership with Thailand—while Cambodia nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Based on a century-old dispute over a 1907 French colonial map—which was validated by a 1962 ICJ decision that awarded the Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia—the agreement was intended to promote bilateral mechanisms such as the Joint Boundary Commission. Nevertheless, implementation was hampered: Thailand suspended it on 11 November after a landmine injured two soldiers, and blamed Cambodia for the new explosives (which Phnom Penh denied). Intermittent firing in September and October undermined confidence. #### Human losses and diplomatic consequences
More than 35,000 Thais and thousands of Cambodians have fled to shelters in Ubon Ratchathani, Buriram and Preah Vihear, filling hospitals and closing schools. Thai PM Anutin promised defensive measures without aggression, while former Cambodian leader Hun Sen urged restraint to avoid derailing the SEA Games in Thailand. ASEAN calls for dialogue; The US reiterated support for the agreement but has not commented on the attacks.

This tension between Thailand’s military edge (F-16 versus Cambodia’s Gripen) highlights the limitations of the agreement: no clear demarcation, nationalist pressure and unresolved landmines. Trump’s “peace” is now in danger, threatening broader ASEAN instability and testing the strength of US mediation.