President Donald Trump will endorse a peace compact between Thailand and Cambodia at the Malaysia ASEAN event, bringing his support to what he describes as a “great peace deal” that he brokered. The endorsement will take place during the 47th ASEAN summit, where Trump will also hold meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other regional leaders.
The peace compact comes after a serious escalation of the border dispute 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 evacuate their homes on both sides of the border, creating a humanitarian emergency that required immediate international mediation.
Through Malaysian diplomatic intervention, a ceasefire was successfully negotiated and implemented in late July 2025, bringing an immediate halt to the fighting. Malaysia has continued its peacekeeping efforts by coordinating ASEAN observer missions that monitor the truce and ensure both Thailand and Cambodia comply with the terms of the cessation of hostilities.
President Trump announced via Truth Social while aboard Air Force One that the peace compact endorsement would occur immediately upon his arrival in Malaysia. This schedule is designed to accommodate the numerous international dignitaries expected to attend this historic diplomatic event, including Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and other ASEAN leaders. 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.
The peace compact 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 focused on 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.