Politics Ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia holds so far
The ceasefire agreed between Thailand and Cambodia after weeks of fighting has held for the second day in a row. According to a spokeswoman for the Cambodian Ministry of Defense, the situation along the border between the two Southeast Asian states has remained calm since midday local time on Saturday.
28.12.2025, 17:04
SDA
The day before, the defense ministers of Thailand and Cambodia signed an agreement prohibiting "all types of weapons, attacks on civilians, civilian objects and infrastructure as well as military targets on both sides - in all cases and in all areas". The agreement has brought the almost three weeks of fighting to a halt. Since the beginning of December, more than 100 people have been killed in the fighting and over half a million residents on both sides have been forced to flee their homes.
The two countries received international recognition for the cessation of fighting. "The ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia gives hope", commented Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on X. Now it is important that both sides consistently adhere to the agreement, Wadephul continued.
To this end, the Chinese government has also recently intervened. Foreign Minister Wang Yi invited his two counterparts from Thailand and Cambodia to a meeting in the south-western Chinese province of Yunnan, where the top diplomats will hold talks on Sunday and Monday. Representatives of the armed forces of China, Thailand and Cambodia are also to take part in the talks. The aim is to consolidate the agreed ceasefire, resume exchanges and build political trust between the two neighboring states. China wants to provide a platform for this and, according to its own statements, play a constructive role in stabilizing bilateral relations.
Dispute over territorial claims
The ceasefire is to be monitored and observed internationally for the first 72 hours before Thailand releases a total of 18 Cambodian prisoners of war on Tuesday. In this context, Thailand's Foreign Ministry spoke of a demonstration of goodwill. According to the joint statement, bilateral "border coordination units" under the observation of a team from the Southeast Asian community of states Asean will ensure that a permanent ceasefire is observed.
The background to the hostilities is a decades-long dispute over territorial claims. Heavy fighting had already broken out in July, resulting in numerous deaths; a ceasefire was agreed after a few days. However, the ceasefire was suspended in November following another border incident. The situation intensified on December 7, and after a border skirmish, new fighting broke out at several points along the 800-kilometre border. Both sides accused each other of being responsible for the escalation.
Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced on both sides of the border. Over 100 people were killed in the fighting, including several dozen civilians. An exact number is unknown, Cambodia did not initially provide any information on the number of soldiers killed.
Conflict goes back to the colonial era
The conflict between the two countries has been simmering for decades and dates back to the colonial era in the 19th century. Some of the borders drawn arbitrarily by the colonial power France at the time are still a source of contention today.
At the center of the conflict is the Preah Vihear temple, a building dating back to the Khmer Empire. The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the temple belonged to Cambodia. Nevertheless, Thailand has repeatedly laid territorial claim to the temple and the surrounding border area.
At the same time, the conflict between the two states is also fueled by domestic political interests and increasing nationalism. Politicians on both sides are using the battles to strengthen their own support.
The populations of Cambodia and Thailand are both predominantly Buddhist. Almost 72 million people live in Thailand and between 17 and 18 million in Cambodia. There is also a clear economic imbalance between the two countries: the gross domestic product per capita in Thailand is more than two and a half times higher than in Cambodia.
