Trump Intervenes as Thailand-Cambodia Border Conflict Intensifies Despite Previous Ceasefire Efforts

President Donald Trump has declared his intention to intervene in the ongoing conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, stating he will make a phone call to halt the hostilities that have now entered their third day.

The fighting persisted on Wednesday despite Trump's previous successful mediation efforts in July, when he brokered a ceasefire that ended a five-day battle between the neighboring Southeast Asian nations.

During a Tuesday rally in Pennsylvania, Trump highlighted his diplomatic achievements, claiming responsibility for averting conflicts between several nations including Pakistan and India, as well as Israel and Iran. Addressing the renewed Thailand-Cambodia tensions, he confidently stated, "I hate to say this one, named Cambodia-Thailand and it started up today and tomorrow I am going to have to make a phone call. Who else could say I'm going to make a phone call and stop a war of two very powerful countries, Thailand and Cambodia."

The diplomatic landscape appears challenging, with Thailand's foreign minister expressing pessimism about negotiation prospects in a Tuesday interview. He suggested the situation was not suitable for third-party mediation. Conversely, a senior adviser to Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet told Reuters that Cambodia remained "ready to talk at any time."

Trump previously engaged with leaders from both nations and played a pivotal role in establishing the fragile truce following July's clashes, which resulted in at least 48 fatalities and represented the most severe fighting between the countries in recent memory.

In his July intervention, Trump leveraged trade negotiations to secure a ceasefire. However, Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow has indicated to Reuters that tariff threats should not be employed to pressure Thailand into discussions.

The current escalation stems from Thailand's decision last month to suspend de-escalation measures that were agreed upon during an October summit attended by Trump. This action followed an incident involving a Thai soldier being injured by a landmine, which Bangkok attributes to Cambodia—an allegation Cambodia denies.

Both nations report evacuating hundreds of thousands of civilians from border regions. Cambodia's Defence Ministry has reported nine civilian casualties and 20 serious injuries since Monday, while Thai officials confirm four soldiers killed and 68 wounded.

Thailand has explicitly stated its objective is to diminish Cambodia's offensive capabilities, with a senior general declaring on Monday that the army aims to "cripple Cambodia's military capability for a long time to come."

Cambodia's Defence Ministry claims its forces have taken purely defensive actions, accusing Thailand of "indiscriminately and brutally targeting civilian residential areas" with artillery fire—allegations that Bangkok has rejected.