Thailand's Prime Minister and leader of Bhumjaithai Party, Anutin Charnvirakul, shows his number after a drawing at a candidate registration in Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. -- AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit
BANGKOK (Bloomberg): A day after Thailand agreed to end weeks of deadly fighting with Cambodia, its defense chief framed the agreement as a strategic test of sincerity rather than a concession.
Defense Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit said Sunday that Thailand’s acceptance of a "conditional ceasefire” is meant to verify whether Cambodia can genuinely halt armed activity and threats on the ground.
His comments, which came after the joint ceasefire declaration on Saturday, underscore the fragility of the neighbors’ second peace deal this year.
The earlier accord - mediated by US President Donald Trump and helped end five days of clashes in July - broke down earlier this month when several Thai soldiers were injured in landmine blasts.
The remarks also highlight how rising nationalist sentiment on both sides of the border has played a role in the recent conflict. Both Thai and Cambodian governments and their armed forces stand to benefit from tough stances against the other.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul dissolved parliament this month for a February election, betting that the conflict with Cambodia will bolster support for his conservative party.
Separately, the foreign ministers of Thailand and Cambodia are leading delegations to the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan and meeting on Sunday and Monday. China is acting as an international mediator to facilitate "fuller and more detailed communication,” its foreign ministry spokesperson said Saturday.
The Thai and Cambodian ministers will also meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and representatives of the militaries of the three countries will participate.
"China will play a constructive role in its own way for Cambodia and Thailand to consolidate the ceasefire, resume exchanges, rebuild political trust, achieve turnaround in bilateral relations and uphold regional peace,” according to the spokesperson.
Under Saturday’s agreement, the two nations committed to freezing troop positions, refraining from reinforcements or movements, and avoiding attacks or provocations. Thai officials said they will closely monitor the 72-hour period following the signing of the accord, which began at noon Saturday.
Nattaphon reiterated Thailand retains its right to self-defense should violations occur. Any use of force would be governed by necessity and proportionality, he said, adding the ceasefire rests not on "trust” but on verification.
This year’s bouts of fighting rank among the deadliest clashes between the two countries. They stem from decades-long disputes over colonial-era maps and treaties that define the rugged border and have periodically erupted into skirmishes.
The Royal Thai Air Force said Sunday reports of foreign cargo aircraft flying into the Cambodian capital from Belarus and elsewhere shouldn’t cause alarm, and it tracks such movements comprehensively with measures in place for any action that affects Thailand.
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