Trump-Brokered Thailand-Cambodia Peace Agreement Collapses After Border Clashes

Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have reignited just weeks after a US-brokered peace agreement, following fresh clashes along their disputed border that left at least one Cambodian villager dead.

The skirmish on Wednesday occurred days after Thailand announced it was suspending the peace agreement after several soldiers were injured by a landmine while patrolling the frontier. Both countries blamed each other for opening fire near a contested village in Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey province. Cambodia reported one civilian killed and three others wounded, while Thai authorities said Cambodian troops fired first, prompting warning shots from their side.

The violence comes after a five-day border conflict in July that killed dozens and displaced approximately 200,000 people. Trump had highlighted his intervention in the July clashes as proof of his peacemaking abilities, and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet even nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize. A subsequent peace declaration was signed in Kuala Lumpur in late October, witnessed by Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, with commitments to de-escalate tensions, remove heavy weaponry, and conduct de-mining operations.

Thailand claims Cambodia planted new landmines that injured four Thai soldiers earlier this week—a claim Phnom Penh denies. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet condemned Wednesday’s clashes, calling for an independent investigation and urging Thailand to stop targeting civilians.

The border dispute has persisted for decades, rooted in disagreements over maps drawn during French colonial rule. The latest flare-up underscores the fragility of peace efforts and the long-standing tensions between the neighboring nations.