Thailand vows to continue fighting Cambodia despite Trump’s claim

Thailand vows to continue fighting Cambodia despite Trumps ceasefire claim — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul at the ASEAN Summit, October 2025. Photo: The White House

BANGKOK,— Thailand’s prime minister pledged to continue military operations along the Cambodia border on Saturday, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire between the two nations.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul wrote on Facebook that Thailand would “continue to perform military actions until we feel no more harm and threats to our land and people.” He added that the operations were necessary to ensure national security and protect civilians.

Trump said Friday he had spoken with Anutin and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, claiming both leaders agreed to “cease all shooting.”

However, official statements from the two premiers made no mention of a ceasefire, with Anutin stating explicitly that the military operations would continue. “I want to make it clear. Our actions this morning already spoke,” he said.

The White House did not immediately respond to inquiries about ongoing fighting. Hun Manet posted on Facebook that Cambodia is seeking a peaceful resolution in accordance with the October agreement facilitated by Trump.

Since Monday, Thailand and Cambodia have exchanged heavy artillery fire across several points along the 817-kilometer border.

Analysts describe the clashes as some of the most intense since July, when a five-day conflict broke out before being temporarily halted by Trump’s intervention.

Thailand suspended the previous truce after a soldier was maimed by a landmine, which Thai authorities allege was newly laid by Cambodian forces.

Cambodia has denied these claims. Fighting has included artillery strikes, naval gunfire, and damage to bridges and buildings along the border.

Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri, a Thai Defense Ministry spokesperson, told reporters that combat occurred across seven provinces and that Cambodia’s use of heavy weapons necessitated Thai counterattacks.

Anutin rejected Trump’s characterization of a roadside bomb that wounded Thai soldiers as accidental, saying it was “definitely not a roadside accident.”

Hun Manet also said he requested U.S. and Malaysian intelligence support to determine which side initiated the latest hostilities. Malaysia has played a role as mediator in ongoing peace talks between the two nations.

The border tensions continue to pose security concerns in the region, with both countries keeping significant military forces positioned along the contested areas.

(With files from Reuters)