Thailand and Cambodia agreed to an “immediate” ceasefire on Saturday, the two countries said in a joint statement, pledging to end weeks of deadly border clashes.
At least 47 people were killed and more than a million displaced during the three weeks of fighting involving artillery, tanks, drones and jets, according to official figures.
The conflict spread to nearly every border province on both sides, breaking an earlier truce for which U.S. President Donald Trump took credit.
“Both sides agree to an immediate ceasefire upon the signing of this joint statement, effective from December 27, 2025 at 12:00 noon (local time),” said the statement, signed by the defense ministers of the two countries.
The ceasefire applies to “all types of weapons, including attacks on civilians, civilian objects and infrastructures, and military objectives of both sides, in all cases and in all areas,” the report said.
Both sides agree to freeze all troop movements and allow civilians living in border areas to return home as soon as possible, the statement said.
They also agree to cooperate in clearing mines and combating cybercrime.
The ceasefire comes after three days of border talks, announced after a crisis meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which both Cambodia and Thailand are members.
The United States, China and Malaysia also urged neighboring countries to stop fighting.
The conflict stems from a territorial dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of their 500-mile border, where ancient temples are claimed by both sides.
Five days of fighting between Cambodia and Thailand in July killed dozens of people before a ceasefire was brokered by the US, China and Malaysia, which was then broken within months.
At least 25 Thai soldiers and one Thai civilian have been killed in the latest series of clashes, officials said.
Cambodia, which has fewer weapons and spends less money than Bangkok’s military, said 21 civilians were killed but reported no military deaths — even as leader Hun Manet’s wife attended a funeral for troops killed in the fighting, according to an official Facebook post.
Fighting continued to rage on Friday, with Cambodia accusing Thailand of stepping up its bombing of disputed border areas and Thai media reporting nightly Cambodian attacks.
The disputed temples are claimed by both countries because of a vague demarcation made by Cambodia’s French colonial administrators in 1907. These demarcations will still need to be resolved after the ceasefire.
But Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul struck an optimistic tone on Friday evening, announcing that the defense ministers of the two countries would meet the next day and possibly sign a ceasefire.
“You can trust Thailand. We always honor our agreements and obligations. Let this be the final signing so that peace can be restored and our people can return home,” he said.
General elections are scheduled for February 8 in Thailand.
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