President Donald Trump will sign a peace treaty between Thailand and Cambodia in Malaysia, bringing formal closure to a border conflict that escalated into deadly violence in mid-2025. The US president announced the signing while aboard Air Force One, describing the agreement as a “great peace deal” that he personally brokered.
The peace process began after a serious escalation of the decades-old border dispute in July 2025, when Thai and Cambodian military forces engaged in five days of intense fighting. The clashes resulted in casualties and displaced thousands of civilians on both sides of the contested border, creating a humanitarian emergency that required immediate international attention.
Malaysia stepped forward as a mediator and successfully negotiated a ceasefire between the warring parties in late July 2025. Since the implementation of the truce, ASEAN observers under Malaysian coordination have been monitoring the situation along the border to ensure both nations honor the ceasefire agreement and refrain from further military action.
President Trump’s visit to Malaysia will serve multiple diplomatic purposes, including the peace deal signing and meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the 47th ASEAN summit. In his Truth Social announcement, Trump stated that the signing ceremony would take place immediately upon his arrival to accommodate all attending dignitaries. He also expressed sympathy for Thailand following the death of the Queen Mother and confirmed plans to meet with Thailand’s Prime Minister upon landing.
The peace agreement addresses a territorial dispute spanning more than 800 kilometers of shared border between Cambodia and Thailand, including several non-demarcated areas. Recent diplomatic progress includes agreements reached during an October meeting of the Joint Commission in Chanthaburi, Thailand, where both nations committed to advancing boundary demarcation efforts. Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow has stated that both countries are close to finalizing a Declaration of Thailand-Cambodia Relations to comprehensively resolve border issues. The dispute has historically centered on ancient Hindu temple sites, particularly those in the Dangrek Mountains, with previous violence in 2011 resulting in at least 16 deaths and UN Security Council involvement.