Top defence officials from Cambodia and Thailand convened in Malaysia on Thursday in a bid to finalise a permanent end to recent hostilities along their shared border, following a violent five-day conflict that erupted in July.

As reported in Reuters, The meeting marks a critical diplomatic step toward peace after last month’s clashes, which involved artillery exchanges and jet fighter bombings — the worst between the Southeast Asian neighbours in more than a decade. The violence resulted in at least 43 deaths and displaced over 300,000 people on both sides.

cambodia thailand conflict

A Thailand’s mobile artillery unit fires towards Cambodia’s side after Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery on Friday as their worst fighting in more than a decade stretched for a second day, in Surin, Thailand, July 25, 2025. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Despite earlier calls for restraint from China and Malaysia — the current chair of ASEAN — fighting continued until the two sides agreed to an unconditional ceasefire. The breakthrough reportedly came only after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that trade talks would not proceed without peace.

The current negotiations are being held at Malaysia’s Armed Forces headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. Cambodian Defence Minister General Tea Seiha and Thailand’s acting Defence Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit are leading their respective delegations.

cambodia thailand talks

United States Ambassador to Malaysia Edgard D. Kagan speaks to media on the day of the Extraordinary General Border Committee (GBC) to discuss the border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia August 7, 2025. REUTERS/Hasnoor Hussain/Pool

According to a statement from Nattaphon, the talks aim to establish a framework to address long-standing border disputes, rebuild military-to-military trust, and implement measures to reduce future tensions while safeguarding civilian populations.

The key conditions for the ceasefire were drafted during three days of talks between senior officials and are expected to be finalised in the presence of observers from China and the United States.

At the heart of the ongoing dispute is the undemarcated stretch of the 817-kilometre land border, first mapped in 1907 by France during its colonial rule in the region. Territorial disagreements over this boundary have periodically flared into confrontation for decades.