Cambodia, Thailand agree to ceasefire with ASEAN as observers

August 8, 2025

Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia): Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to permit the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to oversee the ceasefire they reached late last month to end hostilities in a disputed border region, according to local media reports.

Malaysian news agency Bernama reported that an interim observation team, comprising defense attaches from ASEAN countries and led by a Malaysian officer, will be stationed on both sides of the Thai-Cambodian border to monitor the ceasefire agreement signed on July 28.

Top officials from Thailand and Cambodia convened on Thursday in Malaysia, which is currently serving as the ASEAN chair. Thai Acting Defence Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit met with Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Seiha, concluding four days of negotiations. Despite the ceasefire, both nations continued to accuse each other of cross-border attacks—fighting that erupted on July 24 and resulted in the deaths of 32 people in Thailand and at least 13 in Cambodia. The dispute over their 817 km (508-mile) undemarcated border has lasted for decades, with recent clashes triggered by a landmine explosion that injured five Thai soldiers last month.

Both countries have agreed to uphold a ceasefire involving all weapon types and attacks on civilians or military targets. They also committed to avoiding unprovoked firing towards each other’s positions and troops. Furthermore, the nations agreed to keep open lines of communication across all army and military regions along the border and to work toward resolving all issues peacefully. They plan to hold the Regional Border Committee (RBC) Meeting within two weeks of the upcoming Extraordinary GBC Meeting scheduled for August 7, 2025.

The United States welcomed these developments, describing them as a significant step forward in strengthening the ceasefire and establishing an ASEAN observation mechanism. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement acknowledging the progress. The ceasefire was initially established on July 28, reportedly influenced by economic pressure from then-US President Donald Trump, who warned that no trade deals would be finalized if fighting continued. Following this, the US reduced tariffs on goods from both countries from 36% to 19% earlier this month, reported Al Jazeera.