President Donald Trump will strengthen peace bonds between Thailand and Cambodia at the Malaysian gathering, calling it a “great peace deal” that he proudly brokered. The strengthening will take place during the 47th ASEAN summit, where Trump will also hold meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The peace bonds address a border conflict that escalated into violence in July 2025, when Thai and Cambodian military forces clashed for five consecutive days along their disputed frontier. The clashes resulted in fatalities and created a displacement crisis as thousands of people fled their homes near the contested border areas, demonstrating the critical need for international mediation.
Malaysia successfully mediated between the warring parties and negotiated a ceasefire that was implemented in late July 2025, effectively ending the active phase of the conflict. The Malaysian government has maintained its peacekeeping role by coordinating ASEAN observer missions that continue to monitor the truce and ensure both Thailand and Cambodia adhere to the terms of the cessation of hostilities.
In a Truth Social post from Air Force One, President Trump announced that the peace bonds strengthening would take place immediately upon his arrival in Malaysia to accommodate all the dignitaries attending this significant diplomatic event. Trump also expressed sympathy for Thailand following the death of the Queen Mother and confirmed plans to meet with Thailand’s Prime Minister upon landing. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and other ASEAN leaders will witness the ceremony.
The strengthened peace bonds build 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.