Following separate border demarcation talks in Thailand, Cambodia and Thailand agreed to withdraw heavy weapons and strengthen cooperation against online scam operations along their shared frontier after two days of General Border Committee meetings in Malaysia, officials said on Thursday.
The discussions led by Cambodian National Defense Minister Tea Seiha and Thailand counterpart Nattaphon Narkphanit, were observed by representatives of Malaysia, the United States and China. Nattaphon told Thai media the meeting was a “success.”
Both sides agreed to ease tensions through an initial action plan that includes withdrawing heavy weapons to regular military bases, carrying out demining, and expanding efforts to tackle transnational crimes such as human trafficking and online scams, according to a Cambodian government statement.
The agreements will be implemented under the supervision of an ASEAN observer team, Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry said.
The neighbors, who fought a five-day border conflict in July that left dozens dead and temporarily displaced hundreds of thousands before a ceasefire was reached, are expected to sign a “peace agreement” at the upcoming ASEAN summit in Malaysia starting Sunday.
U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to witness the signing.
Seiha said in a statement on Thursday that the peace deal would pave the way for the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers held in Thai custody for more than two months, an issue that has stirred public anger in Cambodia.
“I reiterated that there is no compromise in ceding land within the legitimate sovereignty of Cambodia to any country in exchange for ceasefire or peace negotiation,” Prime Minister Hun Manet wrote on Facebook on Thursday, amid growing concern that Cambodia could lose territory.
Cambodian analysts remain skeptical of the apparent progress toward a lasting peace.
Seng Vanly, a Phnom Penh-based Asia-Pacific geopolitical analyst, said Cambodia remains cautious that Thailand’s political leadership may be using border diplomacy to project nationalist strength and rally domestic support, despite the positive tone of the General and Joint Border Committee talks.
“True stability will depend on translating these agreements into consistent, peaceful and apolitical actions on the ground,” he said.
The next General Border Committee meeting is scheduled for early Jan. 2026 in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
