Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s high-profile claim of brokering a new ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, fierce fighting continued along their disputed border on Saturday, leaving a trail of destruction, uncertainty, and shattered hopes for peace. The conflict, which flared anew on December 7, 2025, has rapidly escalated into one of the region’s most serious crises in years, with both sides trading blame and refusing to back down, even as international mediators scramble to halt the bloodshed.
On Friday night, President Trump took to his Truth Social platform to declare, “They have agreed to CEASE all shooting effective this evening, and go back to the original Peace Accord made with me, and them, with the help of the Great Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim.” Trump’s announcement came after calls with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, and echoed his earlier efforts this year to pressure both countries—at times threatening to withhold trade privileges—into a truce. The original ceasefire, hammered out in July with Malaysia’s help and formalized in October, had already proven fragile, with sporadic violence simmering beneath the surface.
But within hours of Trump’s latest declaration, the reality on the ground told a different story. According to Al Jazeera, Thai Prime Minister Anutin flatly denied any new agreement had been reached and insisted that Thailand would continue military operations until it no longer felt threatened by Cambodian forces. “Thailand will continue to perform military actions until we feel no more harm and threats to our land and people. I want to make it clear. Our actions this morning already spoke,” Anutin posted on Facebook early Saturday.
The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs also disputed Trump’s assertion, and Thai defense officials confirmed that clashes were ongoing. Cambodia, for its part, refrained from commenting directly on Trump’s claim, but its Ministry of Defence reported that Thai jets had carried out airstrikes on Saturday morning, including two F-16s dropping seven bombs on targets in Cambodia’s Pursat province. The Cambodian Ministry of Information went further, stating that two hotels in the Thmor Da area were bombed, and The Khmer Times published images of the devastated buildings. The Thai navy reportedly joined in, firing 20 artillery shells from a vessel off the coast into Cambodia’s Koh Kong province, striking hotels and beaches.
The toll from the renewed fighting has been grim. Over the past week, more than 20 people have been officially reported killed, nearly 200 wounded, and an estimated 600,000 people displaced on both sides of the 800-kilometer (500-mile) border. The Thai military acknowledged 14 troop deaths as of Saturday, with at least four killed that day alone in the Chong An Ma area, according to Thai Defence Ministry spokesman Surasant Kongsiri. The Thai army also estimated 165 Cambodian soldier fatalities, though Cambodian authorities have not confirmed military losses, instead reporting at least 11 civilian deaths and 76 wounded.
The violence has not spared civilians. On Saturday, BM-21 rockets fired by Cambodia struck a civilian area in Thailand’s Sisaket province, seriously injuring two people who had been running for shelter after warning sirens sounded, AP reported. Meanwhile, residential areas and homes near the border have been damaged by rocket fire, and the closure of Cambodia’s border with Thailand—announced by Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior—has left citizens stranded on both sides, unable to return home until “the ceasefire is fully implemented.”
The roots of the conflict run deep, stretching back more than a century. At the heart of the dispute are competing territorial claims, especially over the ownership of centuries-old temples and lands demarcated by a 1907 map drawn during Cambodia’s period under French colonial rule. A 1962 International Court of Justice ruling awarded sovereignty over the Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia, a decision that remains contentious for many Thais. The recent fighting has centered on these disputed zones, and the Thai army said it destroyed a crane atop a hill near the Preah Vihear temple, claiming it was used for military command and control by Cambodian forces.
Both militaries have unleashed their firepower with devastating effect. Thailand has deployed jet fighters for airstrikes on what it describes as strictly military targets, while Cambodia has fired thousands of BM-21 rockets—capable of launching 40 rockets at a time over distances of up to 40 kilometers (25 miles). The rockets, notoriously imprecise, have landed in areas already evacuated by civilians but have also caused significant damage when they stray into populated zones. According to ThaiPBS data cited by AP, at least six Thai soldiers have been killed by rocket shrapnel.
The humanitarian impact has been staggering. Refugee camps have sprung up along the border, with images from Reuters showing families waiting for aid at Batthkav camp in Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey Province. The chaos has displaced roughly 600,000 people, and with the border now closed, many are trapped in limbo. In Pursat province, bridges and infrastructure have been damaged, further complicating relief efforts.
Internationally, the crisis has put mediators in a difficult position. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, credited by Trump as a key peacemaker, publicly called for both sides to cease hostilities starting Saturday evening. Yet, as Al Jazeera noted, the fighting only intensified, with both armies accusing each other of violating the supposed truce. Trump, meanwhile, has touted his involvement as evidence of his negotiating prowess, claiming to have helped resolve eight conflicts since returning to office in January and openly seeking recognition—including a Nobel Peace Prize. At an unrelated event in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters, “And we got it, I think, straightened out today. So Thailand and Cambodia is in good shape.”
But on the ground, the situation remains anything but settled. The conflict has also become entangled in domestic politics. In Thailand, Prime Minister Anutin’s assertive stance has boosted his popularity, especially after criticism over his handling of recent floods and economic woes. On Friday, Anutin dissolved Parliament, paving the way for early elections next year—a move that, according to Al Jazeera, makes a return to the ceasefire unlikely until after the vote.
As the fighting rages and diplomatic efforts falter, the people of Thailand and Cambodia are left to endure the consequences of a conflict rooted in history and stoked by present-day politics. For now, hopes for peace remain hostage to the realities of war, and the world watches anxiously for any sign that the guns will finally fall silent.
