Thailand has announced the suspension of a recently brokered peace accord with Cambodia, raising fresh concerns over stability along their shared border. The decision follows a landmine explosion in Thailand’s Sisaket province that injured four Thai soldiers, one severely.
The agreement, signed less than three weeks ago in Kuala Lumpur and witnessed by US President Donald Trump and Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, sought to bring an end to the deadly border clashes that erupted in July and displaced some 300,000 people. Under the terms of the pact, which is sometimes dubbed the “Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord,” Thailand and Cambodia committed to withdrawing heavy weapons, clearing landmines, and releasing prisoners of war.
However, Thailand says the explosion proves the truce has not held. The Thai military has accused Cambodia of planting new mines on Thai soil, a claim that Phnom Penh denies. Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry said it is “gravely concerned” by Thailand’s suspension and stressed that many border zones remain contaminated by old ordnance left from past conflicts.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stated that “everything has to stop until there is clarity” regarding the situation. The Thai Defence Minister confirmed a halt to all terms of the agreement, including the planned release of 18 Cambodian detainees.
Analysts warn that this move signals just how fragile and symbolic the peace deal was. While the truce ended one of the worst flare-ups between the two neighbours in over a decade, underlying grievances persist, including disputed treaties, legacy minefields and shifting political dynamics.
For the region, the suspension of the accord is deeply troubling: it threatens humanitarian returns for displaced civilians, undermines confidence in ASEAN-mediated diplomacy, and could provoke further escalation. With cross-border trade and communities deeply affected, renewed fighting may set back years of de-escalation efforts.
A few weeks after heralding a fresh start, Thailand and Cambodia find themselves back at the edge of confrontation, which is an outcome that casts doubt not only on the durability of the peace deal but on broader regional stability in Southeast Asia.
