The peace deal between Thailand and Cambodia Trump claimed credit for has fallen apart much faster than anyone expected. It collapsed as Thai fighter jets targeted areas along the disputed border just six weeks after leaders met in Kuala Lumpur. What was seen as a diplomatic achievement has turned into a border crisis, with casualties on both sides and tens of thousands of people once again fleeing their homes.
The recent violence began on Monday when the Royal Thai Air Force conducted airstrikes on what officials in Bangkok claimed were Cambodian military positions near the border. Thai leaders argue these strikes were a direct response to earlier attacks that killed a Thai soldier and injured others.
Cambodia’s defense ministry states its troops have abided by the ceasefire and accuses Thailand of firing the first shots. They point to artillery, drones, and rockets that allegedly hit villages and military areas. Local officials report damage to homes and civilian casualties, describing families packing into trucks and buses to escape the renewed fighting.
On October 26, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet signed the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord during an ASEAN summit, with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and U.S. President Donald Trump present. After a barrage of rockets and artillery in July that left at least 48 dead and displaced over 300,000 civilians, the agreement was viewed as an important reset.
Fleeing for safety, young students in the O’Smach area of Oddar Meanchey were sent home today as fresh tension and artillery fire from Thailand started up again. https://t.co/0XPfxnjxjC pic.twitter.com/MPdc1xXzqf
— Jacob in Cambodia 🇺🇸 🇰🇭 (@jacobincambodia) December 8, 2025
Publicly, the deal was presented as proof of Trump’s skill in bringing peace to long-standing conflicts. However, behind the scenes, military experts did not believe that the truce would be long lasting. It required both sides to withdraw heavy weapons and allowed for an ASEAN monitoring team, but the means for enforcement were weak and relied heavily on trust between two militaries with a long history of border conflicts and deep-seated resentment over a border that has never been truly defined.
In November, Thailand reported that a landmine explosion, which seriously injured a soldier, led it to suspend parts of the agreement. Cambodia countered that the mine was an old remnant from past conflicts rather than a new provocation. Small conflicts followed, and diplomats warned that the ceasefire was already weakening well before the airstrikes began this week.
The border has been a point of conflict for decades, especially near the Preah Vihear temple. Conflicting maps from colonial times and court rulings leave both sides claiming portions of land. Nationalist pressure in both countries increases the tension, and commanders operate in conditions where a misunderstanding or a misinterpreted movements can escalate rapidly into violence.
Thai officials contend the latest airstrikes aimed to deter further rocket attacks and reduce Cambodian military capabilities near the border. Meanwhile, Cambodia claims it is still respecting the ceasefire and accuses Thailand of reckless actions that endanger civilians. Aid groups and local authorities now find themselves racing to relocate people from frontline areas as reports of new evacuations continue to rise.
