November 19, 2025

Thailand–Cambodia Border Agreement on Shaky Ground

By: Ryan Claffey

This article was originally published on the East Asia Forum.

On 26 October 2025, US President Donald Trump presided over Cambodia and Thailand’s signing of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord — a joint declaration expanding the 28 July ceasefire, which halted the bloodiest Thailand–Cambodia border conflict in over a decade. Yet on 11 November, the Thai National Security Council approved a temporary suspension of the accord, suggesting that a more permanent peace will require more than just a tariff-enabled truce.

Tensions first flared in the Preah Vihear temple area on 28 May. Ambiguous border demarcations dating back to 1904 and 1907 French colonial-era treaties have kept adjacent territories — and several temple sites — contested. After two months of unsuccessful attempts by Malaysia and subtle nudging from China to defuse the crisis, on 24 July the simmering dispute escalated into armed clashes across several areas along the frontier, including around the Ta Muen Thom temple.

Trump’s initial intervention was instrumental. Yet to secure both countries’ adherence to the accord, Washington must pair continued diplomatic pressure with tangible humanitarian support and economic engagement.

Even by 25 July, as skirmishes threatened all-out war, Bangkok still resisted third-party mediation. Frustrated, Trump took to Truth Social on 26 July to announce that he had spoken with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. Following a similar call with Thailand’s prime minister, Trump relayed Bangkok’s willingness to negotiate to Phnom Penh and confirmed that ‘Both Parties are … looking to get back to the “Trading Table” with the United States, which we think is inappropriate to do until such time as the fighting STOPS’.

Though China remains Cambodia and Thailand’s top trading partner, the United States is their primary export market, with exports to the United States equivalent to 27 per cent of Cambodia’s GDP and 12 per cent of Thailand’s. Should the violence persist, Trump threatened to proceed with the planned 36 per cent tariffs on both Cambodian and Thai exports that would take effect on 1 August. The credible prospect of tariff relief, contingent upon mutual restraint, helped drive both sides towards dialogue.

Read the full article on East Asia Forum.

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