President Donald Trump will facilitate a peace milestone between Thailand and Cambodia in Malaysia, marking what he describes as a major diplomatic triumph. The US president announced his role while traveling aboard Air Force One to attend the 47th ASEAN summit.
The peace milestone addresses a border conflict that turned violent in July 2025, when Thai and Cambodian military forces engaged in five days of intense fighting along their disputed frontier. The clashes resulted in fatalities and forced thousands of civilians to abandon their homes on both sides of the border, creating an urgent humanitarian crisis.
Malaysia successfully intervened as a mediator and negotiated a ceasefire that was implemented in late July 2025, bringing an end to the active fighting. The Malaysian government has maintained its peacekeeping role by coordinating ASEAN observer missions that continue to monitor the truce and ensure both nations comply with the terms of the cessation of hostilities.
In a Truth Social post, President Trump stated that the peace milestone facilitation would occur immediately upon his arrival in Malaysia to accommodate all the dignitaries attending this significant diplomatic event. Trump also expressed condolences for the death of Thailand’s Queen Mother and confirmed he would meet with Thailand’s Prime Minister upon landing. The ceremony will be witnessed by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and other ASEAN leaders.
The facilitated peace milestone builds on recent diplomatic breakthroughs achieved during a two-day special meeting of the Cambodia-Thai Joint Commission on Demarcation for the Land Boundary held in Chanthaburi, Thailand, on October 21-22. During these discussions, both nations reached several key agreements aimed at expediting the land demarcation process along their more than 800-kilometer shared border. Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow has stated that both sides are moving closer to finalizing a comprehensive Declaration of Thailand-Cambodia Relations to permanently resolve border issues. The territorial dispute has historically centered on competing claims to ancient Hindu temple sites in the Dangrek Mountains, with the most serious previous incident occurring in 2011 when clashes near Preah Vihear temple resulted in at least 16 deaths.