Thailand Vows Continued Action, Cambodia Seeks Peace Amid Fighting

Heavy exchanges of fire erupted along the 817 km Thailand Cambodia border on December 13, 2025, even after U S President Donald Trump said he had spoken to both leaders and that they had agreed to "cease all shooting." Field reports from international outlets and imagery from the scene indicated air strikes and heavy weapons fire at several points along the frontier, making clear that the ceasefire announced by the president had not taken hold on the ground.

Thailand's caretaker prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul rejected the idea that hostilities had stopped, writing on social media that "we can’t just announce a ceasefire while the fighting is going on." He added that Bangkok would "continue to perform military actions until we feel no more harm and threats to our land and people," framing Thailand's posture as defensive and conditional on on the removal of perceived threats.

Cambodia's prime minister Hun Manet reiterated Phnom Penh's preference for a diplomatic path, saying his government "continues to seek a peaceful resolution of disputes in line with the October agreement." He told the U S president that he wanted to find ways to reach a ceasefire, but his statement stopped short of confirming any immediate halt to operations.

The Cambodian Ministry of Defence posted claims on social media that Thai aircraft had struck positions inside Cambodian territory and that several bombs had been dropped, a charge that Thai officials did not immediately accept. International reporting agencies described the clashes as among the heaviest since July, with exchanges of artillery and reported air strikes at multiple border points on December 13.

The human cost of the confrontation was visible in both countries. A funeral for Sergeant Major Ananda Udon, 39, who died amid the clashes on December 10, was held in Si Sa Ket province, underscoring the toll on Thai security forces. Photographs published by international outlets showed damaged infrastructure in Cambodian provinces, including a concrete bridge hit by fire. Aid distributions and displacement were reported near the frontier, with images of civilians receiving rice at Batthkav camp in Oddar Meanchey province, highlighting the humanitarian strain.

Diplomats and analysts said the conflicting accounts illustrate the difficulty of translating an international diplomatic push into immediate stability on the ground. Both Bangkok and Phnom Penh have referenced an October accord brokered by President Trump in Malaysia, but disagreements over troop positions and mutual accusations of cross border strikes have prevented a durable cessation of hostilities. Independent verification of battlefield claims remains limited and reliant on imagery and reporting from the scene.

As fighting continued, regional leaders discussed an ASEAN observer plan to monitor the border and provide impartial reporting on incidents. The idea, still under consideration, reflects concern that neither side is ready to entrust verification to the other and that external monitoring may be needed to rebuild confidence.

Legal and diplomatic implications are immediate. Recurrent cross border strikes raise questions under international law about sovereignty and the use of force, while the displacement of civilians creates obligations for both governments and regional partners to ensure humanitarian access. For now, the battlefield reality on December 13 outpaced the promises of diplomacy, and the fragile peace mediated earlier this year remains under severe strain.