"Today we set in the same room with all ASEAN delegations, including Cambodia's. We proposed that the military leaders of both sides meet and negotiate a ceasefire. Cambodia agreed to these talks, and they have been scheduled for December 24, 2025, in the format of the General Committee on Border Issues, co-chaired by the defense ministers of Thailand and Cambodia," Phuangketkeow said.
The Thai and Cambodian delegations came to the ASEAN ministerial meeting not to accuse each other but to try and advance the de-escalation process, the minister added.
The joint declaration between Thailand and Cambodia, signed on the sidelines of an ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur on October 26, is a direct path to a ceasefire and peace, the top Thai diplomat said. However, for peace to be achieved, Cambodia must comply with all the provisions of the declaration, mainly withdraw heavy weapons from the border, limit the size of its troops stationed there, start de-mining, tackle fraudulent call centers in Cambodia targeting Thai citizens and counter transborder crime and incursions into Thai territory, he added.
Phuangketkeow emphasized the critical importance of de-mining for Thailand, noting multiple incidents involving Thai soldiers losing limbs to mines both before and after the signing of the declaration.
The decades-long border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia turned into an armed conflict on July 24, with the neighbors exchanging artillery fire and airstrikes. Both sides reported casualties, including among civilians. On August 4, they announced an immediate ceasefire, which was followed by a formal agreement on its implementation days later.
However, hostilities along the Thailand-Cambodia border have resumed since early December, with both sides accusing each other of violating the ceasefire. As a result of Cambodian strikes in Thailand's border provinces, at least 22 people have been killed, 140 injured, and about 140,000 people evacuated from areas at risk.