A US-brokered ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia has unraveled within hours of its announcement, with Phnom Penh accusing Bangkok of continuing aerial bombardments along their disputed border region. The Cambodian Defense Ministry stated that on December 13, 2025, Thai F-16 fighter jets dropped seven bombs on multiple targets within Cambodian territory, directly contradicting the truce agreement facilitated by President Donald Trump.
The escalation comes despite President Trump’s announcement on his Truth Social platform that both neighboring nations had agreed to halt hostilities following his diplomatic engagement with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. The border conflict, reignited earlier this week, has already claimed at least 20 lives and displaced approximately half a million people from both sides.
This recent violence represents the collapse of a July ceasefire agreement that was jointly brokered by the United States, China, and Malaysia through the ASEAN framework. The current clashes stem from longstanding territorial disputes along the 800-kilometer colonial-era border demarcation. Thailand had previously suspended the peace agreement in November following incidents where Thai soldiers were wounded by landmines at the border.
Both nations have engaged in mutual recriminations, with each government blaming the other for initiating the renewed conflict. Prime Minister Hun Manet has proposed utilizing US and Malaysian intelligence capabilities to determine which side initiated hostilities on December 7. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anutin dissolved Thailand’s parliament on Friday after just three months in office, setting the stage for early general elections next year amid the ongoing border crisis.