Thailand has outright rejected US President Donald Trump's claim of a ceasefire with Cambodia, asserting that its military operations against its neighbor will continue. The ongoing border conflict between the two nations has seen relentless attacks, leaving millions displaced and the situation steadily deteriorating, with significant casualties reported.
Thai Prime Minister's Firm Stance
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul took to Facebook on Saturday morning to clarify his country's position. He stated unequivocally that the Thai military would continue its actions against Cambodia as long as it perceived a threat to its land and people. Anutin directly dismissed President Trump's claim of a ceasefire agreement between the two countries, while in his Facebook post, Anutin wrote, 'Thailand will continue military action until we feel no threat to our land and people. I want to make this clear. Our actions this morning speak for themselves. ' This statement underscores Thailand's resolute stance, indicating no intention of backing down.
Cambodian Allegations of Ongoing Assaults
Cambodian officials have also accused Thailand of continuing its attacks despite Trump's announcement. According to an Al Jazeera report, Cambodian authorities stated that Thai forces launched air and ground assaults just hours after the alleged ceasefire claim, while cambodia's Ministry of Defense posted on social media that on December 13, 2025, the Thai army dropped seven bombs from two F-16 fighter jets. They further reported that the Thai military had not ceased its bombardment and was continuing its operations. These attacks were reportedly targeting villages and settlements until 8 AM local time, posing a severe threat to civilian lives.
The conflict, which has been ongoing for the past week, has seen several key locations come under fire. The Khmer Times, a local Cambodian newspaper, citing the Ministry of Information, reported that two hotels in the Thmor Da area of Pursat province, near the Thai border, were targeted. The newspaper published images of the affected sites, showing severely damaged hotel and casino buildings. In a separate incident, the Thai navy fired artillery shells from a ship, which landed in Cambodia's Koh Kong province. Al Jazeera reported that these shells caused damage to hotels and coastal areas. While Cambodian officials have not reported any deaths or injuries in these latest attacks, significant property damage has occurred.
Root Cause of the Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis
The week-long conflict has escalated into a significant humanitarian crisis, while a peace deal brokered by Trump in October collapsed this week, leading to at least 20 deaths and approximately 200 injuries in both countries. Al Jazeera reported that around 600,000 people have been displaced along the 800-kilometer-long Thailand-Cambodia border, while the core of the dispute revolves around centuries-old temples, with both nations claiming ownership. This historical disagreement has now erupted into a major military confrontation, exacerbating instability in the region.
Trump's Ceasefire Claim Debunked
US President Donald Trump had claimed on his social media platform Truth Social on Friday night that he had brokered a ceasefire between the two countries, while trump wrote on Truth Social, 'Had a very good talk this morning with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul of Thailand and Prime Minister Hun Manet of Cambodia. This is a very sad resurgence of a long-running war between the two countries. They've agreed to stop all firing tonight and will revert to the original peace deal I made, with the help of the great Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia. ' Trump also asserted that the casualties suffered by Thai soldiers in a roadside bomb blast were merely an accident. However, Anutin, in a separate Facebook post, explicitly refuted this claim, casting doubt on the credibility of Trump's assertions.
