Thailand Denies Trump's Ceasefire Claim Amid Escalating Border Clashes with Cambodia
Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has dismissed as "completely untrue" US President Donald Trump's claim that Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to a ceasefire, amid intense fighting along the border between the two countries.
The denials came on Saturday, as clashes continued to rage along the border with heavy fighting between Thai forces and Cambodian military targets. Anutin stated in a Facebook post that "Thailand will continue to perform military actions until we feel no more harm and threats to our land and people," further indicating that a ceasefire is not forthcoming.
The situation escalated after Trump announced on Friday that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to halt fighting, sparking confusion among diplomats from both countries. The Thai Foreign Ministry later referred reporters to Trump's statement, failing to acknowledge the agreement.
Cambodia, however, has taken steps to suspend all border crossings with Thailand following the latest clashes, which have seen over two dozen people killed and more than half a million displaced on both sides of the border.
The roots of the conflict lie in historical disputes over territorial claims between Thailand and Cambodia. The rivalry dates back to 1907, when a map created during French colonial rule showed Cambodia's borders inaccurately, a claim that still fuels tensions among Thais. In 1962, an international court of justice ruling awarded sovereignty to Cambodia, further inflaming animosity.
The conflict escalated into full-blown clashes in December after a clash on the border wounded two Thai soldiers and appeared to violate an earlier ceasefire promoted by Trump, which ended similar fighting in July.
Thai forces have carried out airstrikes using fighter jets, targeting what they claim are military targets. In response, Cambodia has deployed BM-21 rocket launchers with a range of 30-40km (19-25 miles), whose imprecise and wide area impact has led to damage and casualties on the Cambodian side.
The Thai army has also claimed to have destroyed a tall crane near the ancient Preah Vihear temple, which they allegedly used for military command and control purposes. Meanwhile, a Thai warship shelled the south-western Cambodian province of Koh Kong on Saturday.
With tensions running high, the international community is watching the situation closely, with the US urging calm from both sides. The situation remains volatile, leaving many wondering when - or if - peace will be restored to this troubled region.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has dismissed as "completely untrue" US President Donald Trump's claim that Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to a ceasefire, amid intense fighting along the border between the two countries.
The denials came on Saturday, as clashes continued to rage along the border with heavy fighting between Thai forces and Cambodian military targets. Anutin stated in a Facebook post that "Thailand will continue to perform military actions until we feel no more harm and threats to our land and people," further indicating that a ceasefire is not forthcoming.
The situation escalated after Trump announced on Friday that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to halt fighting, sparking confusion among diplomats from both countries. The Thai Foreign Ministry later referred reporters to Trump's statement, failing to acknowledge the agreement.
Cambodia, however, has taken steps to suspend all border crossings with Thailand following the latest clashes, which have seen over two dozen people killed and more than half a million displaced on both sides of the border.
The roots of the conflict lie in historical disputes over territorial claims between Thailand and Cambodia. The rivalry dates back to 1907, when a map created during French colonial rule showed Cambodia's borders inaccurately, a claim that still fuels tensions among Thais. In 1962, an international court of justice ruling awarded sovereignty to Cambodia, further inflaming animosity.
The conflict escalated into full-blown clashes in December after a clash on the border wounded two Thai soldiers and appeared to violate an earlier ceasefire promoted by Trump, which ended similar fighting in July.
Thai forces have carried out airstrikes using fighter jets, targeting what they claim are military targets. In response, Cambodia has deployed BM-21 rocket launchers with a range of 30-40km (19-25 miles), whose imprecise and wide area impact has led to damage and casualties on the Cambodian side.
The Thai army has also claimed to have destroyed a tall crane near the ancient Preah Vihear temple, which they allegedly used for military command and control purposes. Meanwhile, a Thai warship shelled the south-western Cambodian province of Koh Kong on Saturday.
With tensions running high, the international community is watching the situation closely, with the US urging calm from both sides. The situation remains volatile, leaving many wondering when - or if - peace will be restored to this troubled region.
. Like come on Trump can't even get a simple ceasefire right 
. And now Cambodia is all like "nah we're good" and just suspends all crossings 
. This whole thing is so messed up, like the historical disputes are still simmering beneath the surface 
. I mean Thailand and Cambodia have been fighting over this stuff for ages, it's not like a new development or anything 
. And now people are getting killed and displaced on both sides... it's just heartbreaking 
. Can't we all just get along? 
2 days ago there were already clashes & now its escalated into full-blown war 
that map created during french colonial rule is still causing issues today 
& cambodia's response has been to suspend all border crossings which is a big deal for trade & economy 
with us urging calm from both sides but its hard to see peace being restored anytime soon 
thailand is like 'nah bruh, we ain't got time for that' 
" 
i mean dont even get me started on the history between these 2 nations its been going on for ages its not like this is gonna resolve anythin but idk maybe ppl need to take a chill pill 
anywayz i think trump's just tryna stir up some drama here and we r all just pawns in his game 
gotta hope that diplomacy can prevail soon instead of more airstrikes & rocket fire
#PeaceNotWar #ThailandAndCambodia
#StandUpForCambodia #BorderRights
. We should be supporting their efforts instead of just watching from the sidelines 
I mean, targeting military targets or not, it's still pretty reckless. And those BM-21 rocket launchers? 
It's time for Cambodia to take control of their own affairs and stop blaming Thailand for everything. 
. Trump's not the first person to get caught up in regional politics - I mean, who hasn't made some mistakes or misread the situation? The fact is, both countries are being pretty aggressive on the border right now and need to calm down 
. It's easy for us to sit here and judge from afar, but we have no idea what's really going on on the ground 
. Can we just try to give Trump a break and let him do his thing? He might be all wrong, but at least he tried 
Trump thinks he can just announce a ceasefire and everyone will go along with it? Newsflash, dude: international diplomacy is way more complicated than that 
. Thailand is all like "we'll keep fighting until we feel safe", but what does that even mean? 
. Can't they just talk it out already? 
Anutin's response is super calm considering the situation - ouch, I would've lost it 
. Thailand needs to consider using diplomacy instead of force 
I'm not saying Cambodia is innocent either, but maybe they should try reaching out for help first?