PHNOM PENH: Thailand and Cambodia agreed to an &quot;immediate&quot; ceasefire on Saturday, the two countries said in a joint statement issued by the Cambodian side, pledging to end weeks of deadly border clashes.&nbsp;The neighbors&#39; long-standing <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/thailand-to-continue-military-action-on-cambodia-until-no-more-threats-pm" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">border conflict reignited this month</a>, shattering an earlier truce and killing at least 47 people, according to official counts. Around a million people have also been displaced.&nbsp;&quot;Both sides agree to an immediate ceasefire after the time of signature of this Joint Statement with effect from 12:00 hours noon (local time) on 27 December 2025, involving all types of weapons, including attacks on civilians, civilian objects and infrastructures, and military objectives of either side, in all cases and all areas,&quot; said the statement signed by the two countries&#39; defense ministers.&nbsp;Both sides agree to freeze all troop movements and allow civilians living in border areas to return home as soon as possible, the statement said.&nbsp;They also agree to cooperate on demining efforts and combatting cybercrime.&nbsp;The ceasefire will go into effect at 12:00 pm (0500 GMT) to end battling over a smattering of ancient temples in disputed zones along the two countries&#39; shared frontier.&nbsp;It comes after three days of border talks announced following a crisis meeting of foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which both Cambodia and Thailand are members.&nbsp;The United States, China and Malaysia also pushed for the warring neighbors to resume their ceasefire.&nbsp;The three countries brokered a truce to end five days of deadly clashes in July, but the ceasefire was short-lived.

Asia

The neighbors' long-standing border conflict reignited this month, shattering an earlier truce and killing at least 47 people, according to official counts.

Thailand and Cambodia agree to 'immediate' ceasefire: joint statement

BANGKOK: Thailand&rsquo;s next general election will take place on February 8, the election commission said Monday, and parties must nominate their candidates for prime minister before the end of this year. &ldquo;Today the Election Commission has drafted election details and proposed to the Commissioner who agreed that Sunday, February 8, 2026 will be the election day,&rdquo; the commission said in a statement. Advance voting will take place on February 1. Ethics violation&nbsp;Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, of the conservative Bhumjaithai party, assumed office in September after his predecessor was removed over an ethics violation. He <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/thai-pm-dissolves-parliament-paving-way-for-national-elections" style="color: rgb(41, 105, 176);">dissolved</a> parliament on Friday, paving the way for the national poll -- which under Thai law must be held between 45 to 60 days after the dissolution. The move comes as a conflict stemming from a decades-long border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia reignited this month, with ongoing military clashes killing at least 31 people and displacing around 800,000. Anutin, a cannabis-championing conservative, took power with coalition backing conditional on dissolving parliament, becoming the kingdom&#39;s third leader in two years.

The election commission said in a statement, ‘Today the Election Commission has drafted election details and proposed to the Commissioner who agreed that Sunday, February 8, 2026 will be the election day.’ 

Thailand to go to the polls on February 8

BANGKOK:&nbsp;Thailand&#39;s prime minister dissolved parliament on Friday, paving the way for general elections early next year as deadly border clashes continue with neighbor Cambodia. The move comes earlier than expected and just three months after Anutin Charnvirakul -- of the conservative Bhumjaithai party -- became prime minister when his predecessor was removed from office over an ethics violation. &ldquo;The House of Representatives is dissolved to hold a new general election for members of the House,&rdquo; a decree published in the Royal Gazette on Friday said. Anutin was widely expected to wait until after Christmas to dissolve parliament. &ldquo;Since the administration is a minority government and domestic political conditions are fraught with multiple challenges, the government cannot continue administering state affairs continuously, efficiently, and with stability,&rdquo; the Royal Gazette said, citing a report received from Anutin. &lsquo;Appropriate solution&rsquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Therefore, the appropriate solution is to dissolve the House of Representatives and hold a new general election.&rdquo; The dissolution comes as fighting stemming from a decades-long territorial dispute over ancient temples has flared again on the border with Cambodia, where clashes have killed at least 20 people and displaced around 600,000, mostly in Thailand. In a statement, Cambodia&rsquo;s defense ministry said the Thai military continued to shell and fire machine guns into Cambodian territory on Friday morning. AFP journalists heard continuous artillery fire at the border on Friday, ahead of an expected call between Anutin and US President Donald Trump, who has made vocal attempts to broker peace between the southeast Asian neighbors. &lsquo;Couple of phone calls&rsquo;At the congressional ball at the White House on Thursday night, Trump claimed again to have solved eight wars. &ldquo;Although Thailand and Cambodia, I think I&rsquo;m going to have to make a couple of phone calls on Thailand, but we&rsquo;ll get that one back on track,&rdquo; he said. The two countries have blamed each other for the fresh fighting, which saw Thailand launch air strikes and use tanks against its neighbor on Monday. Evacuees at a shelter in Thailand&rsquo;s Surin province told AFP they were less concerned about who leads the new government than about who would improve their lives along the border. &ldquo;I just care that the leader, whoever that is, is someone who helps ordinary farmers like us,&rdquo; said 68-year-old Somrak Suebsoontorn. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">&lsquo;Power to the people&rsquo; </h2>Under Thai law, elections must be held between 45 and 60 days after parliament is dissolved, meaning polls are expected around the end of January or early February. Anutin said in a Facebook post late Thursday he &ldquo;would like to return power to the people&rdquo;, a signal in the kingdom that a prime minister intends to dissolve parliament. His coalition backer, the People&rsquo;s Party, said Thursday it would submit a motion of no-confidence in Anutin, claiming Bhumjaithai broke its agreement during a crucial vote on constitutional amendments. &ldquo;They said they wouldn&rsquo;t support me anymore. They asked me to dissolve the house. I just followed their request,&rdquo; Anutin told reporters Friday outside the Government House. The cannabis-championing conservative took power in September with coalition backing conditional on dissolving parliament, becoming the kingdom&rsquo;s third leader in two years. He was once an ally of the influential political clan of Thaksin Shinawatra -- who have been a dominant force in Thai politics since the turn of the century, but are increasingly faltering after a succession of legal and political setbacks. Anutin abandoned his coalition with their Pheu Thai Party this summer in apparent outrage over former Thai prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra&rsquo;s conduct during the border row with Cambodia. During his three months in office, Anutin has had to deal with the escalating military conflict, as well as attacks on scam hubs in Myanmar driving hundreds across the border into Thailand, and the death of the former queen Sirikit in October.

The move comes earlier than expected and just three months after Anutin Charnvirakul -- of the conservative Bhumjaithai party -- became prime minister when his predecessor was removed from office over an ethics violation.

Thai PM dissolves parliament, paving way for national elections

BANGKOK: Thailand launched air strikes on its neighbor Cambodia on Monday, the Thai army said, with both sides trading blame for the latest eruption of fighting on their disputed border which killed a Thai soldier.&nbsp;After Cambodian troops fired on Thai forces early Monday morning in Ubon Ratchathani province, &quot;the Army received reports that Thai soldiers were attacked with supporting fire weapons, resulting in one soldier killed and four wounded&quot;, Thai army spokesman Winthai Suvaree said in a statement.&nbsp;Winthai also said Thailand had begun &quot;using aircraft to strike military targets in several areas&quot; to suppress attacks by Cambodian forces.&nbsp;Cambodia&#39;s defense ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata said Thai forces launched an attack on Cambodian troops in the border provinces of Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey early Monday morning, accusing Thailand of &quot;firing multiple shots with tanks at Tamone Thom temple&quot; and other areas near Preah Vihear temple.&nbsp;She said Cambodia did not retaliate.&nbsp;Met Measpheakdey, a Cambodian spokesman for the Oddar Meanchey provincial administration, said gunfire was reported in the areas of the centuries-old Tamone Thom and Ta Krabei temples, and a &quot;number of villagers who live near the border are fleeing to safety.&quot;&nbsp;Thailand&#39;s Second Army Region said in a statement that around 35,000 people in Thailand have been evacuated from areas along the border with Cambodia since the renewed fighting.&nbsp;The Thai army also accused Cambodian forces of firing BM-21 rockets towards civilian areas in Buri Ram province, with no casualties reported.Both sides reported a brief skirmish on Sunday, which Thailand&#39;s military had said left two soldiers wounded.&nbsp;Five days of clashes erupted between Thailand and Cambodia this summer, killing 43 people and displacing around 300,000 before a truce took effect.&nbsp;That cessation of fighting had been brokered in part by the United States, China and Malaysia, the latter as chair of the regional bloc ASEAN.&nbsp;And in October, US President Donald Trump co-signed a follow-on joint declaration between Thailand and Cambodia, touting new trade deals with the countries after they agreed to prolong the ceasefire.&nbsp;But Thailand suspended the deal last month after an alleged landmine blast wounded several soldiers.&nbsp;The two sides then traded accusations of renewed clashes in which Phnom Penh said a civilian was killed.&nbsp;The dispute centres on a century-old disagreement over borders mapped during France&#39;s colonial rule in the region, with both sides claiming a smattering of boundary temples.

The airstrikes come after Cambodian troops allegedly fired on Thai forces early Monday morning in Ubon Ratchathani province.

Thailand launches air strikes against Cambodia in border flare-up

PADANG: Indonesian and Thai authorities raced on Sunday to clear debris and find hundreds of missing people as the death toll from devastating floods and landslides across Southeast Asia topped 600.&nbsp;Heavy monsoon rain overwhelmed swaths of Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia this week, leaving thousands of people stranded without shelter or critical supplies.&nbsp;At least two areas of Indonesia&#39;s worst-affected Sumatra island were still unreachable on Sunday, and authorities said they had deployed two warships from Jakarta to deliver aid.&nbsp;Central Tapanuli and Sibolga city &quot;require full attention due to being isolated&quot;, National Disaster agency head Suharyanto said in a statement, adding that the ships were expected in Sibolga on Monday.&nbsp;The death toll in Indonesia rose to 442, while 402 were still missing, according to a tally published on Sunday by the disaster authority.&nbsp;It said at least 646 people had been injured.&nbsp;In Sungai Nyalo village, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) from West Sumatra&#39;s capital Padang, floodwaters had mostly receded on Sunday, leaving homes, vehicles and crops coated in thick grey mud.&nbsp;Authorities had not yet begun clearing roads, residents told AFP, and no outside assistance had arrived.&nbsp;&quot;Most villagers chose to stay; they didn&#39;t want to leave their houses behind,&quot; said Idris, 55, who, like many Indonesians, goes by one name.&nbsp;Across the island towards the north coast, an endangered Sumatran elephant lay buried in thick mud and debris near damaged buildings in Meureudu town.&nbsp;&nbsp;Public criticismIn Thailand, where at least 162 people were killed in one of the worst floods in a decade, authorities continued to deliver aid and clear the damage.&nbsp;Relief measures rolled out by the Thai government include compensation of up to two million baht ($62,000) for households that lost family members.&nbsp;However, there has been growing public criticism of Thailand&#39;s flood response, and two local officials have been suspended over their alleged failures.&nbsp;Two people were killed in Malaysia after floods left stretches of northern Perlis state underwater.&nbsp;The annual monsoon season, typically between June and September, often brings heavy rain, triggering landslides and flash floods.&nbsp;A tropical storm has exacerbated conditions, and the tolls in Indonesia and Thailand rank among the highest in floods in those countries in recent years.&nbsp;Climate change has affected storm patterns, including the duration and intensity of the season, leading to heavier rainfall, flash flooding and stronger wind gusts.

Deadly monsoon floods and landslides across Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia have killed over 600 people, left hundreds missing, isolated communities, and drawn criticism of disaster responses, with climate change worsening storm intensity and rainfall.

Indonesia, Thailand race to find missing as flooding toll tops 600

BANGKOK: Thailand announced on Monday it was suspending the implementation of a peace agreement with neighboring Cambodia after a landmine blast injured two Thai soldiers near the border. The deal, overseen by US President Donald Trump, was meant to secure a lasting end to hostilities following border clashes in July that killed at least 43 people and displaced more than 300,000 civilians on both sides. The Royal Thai Army said in a statement that the mine explosion in Sisaket province left one soldier with a severe leg injury, while pressure from the blast caused another to withstand chest pains. Thai government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat said that Bangkok will cease &quot;the follow-up to the joint declaration&quot;, meaning the accord with Cambodia inked in Kuala Lumpur in late October, months after the two sides had agreed a ceasefire. The next steps planned as part of the agreement&#39;s implementation included the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers detained in Thailand. &lsquo;Unwavering commitment&rsquo;Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told a press conference that &quot;we thought that the security threat had eased, but it has not actually decreased.&quot; Cambodian authorities did not immediately comment on the incident, but have in the past denied Thai accusations of planting new landmines along the border. Cambodia&#39;s defense ministry pledged in a statement on Monday an &quot;unwavering commitment&quot; to peace. The Southeast Asian neighbors have a dispute over parts of their border dating back more than a century, but July&#39;s fighting was sparked by Thailand&#39;s claims that Cambodia planted landmines that wounded its troops.

The Royal Thai Army said in a statement that the mine explosion in Sisaket province left one soldier with a severe leg injury, while pressure from the blast caused another to withstand chest pains.

Thailand suspends Cambodia deal after landmine injures troops

BANGKOK: The year-long funeral ceremony of Thailand&#39;s former Queen Sirikit started on Sunday, with grieving royalists set to salute the procession bringing her remains to lie in state at Bangkok&#39;s Grand Palace. The royal family is venerated in Thailand, treated by many as semi-divine figures and lavished with glowing media coverage and gold-adorned portraits hanging in public spaces and private homes nationwide. Former Queen Sirikit, the mother of the current King Vajiralongkorn and wife of the nation&#39;s longest-reigning monarch, died late Friday at the age of 93. Digital advertising billboards in the Thai capital are displaying towering black tributes to the royal matriarch, while citizens have been asked to wear dark tones and curtail celebratory public events. The former queen&#39;s body is due late on Sunday afternoon to make the short trip from Chulalongkorn Hospital to the seat of the Thai royalty, where she will lie in state for one year before cremation. Throughout her 66-year marriage to King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Sirikit carved a dual reputation as a glittering fashionista and the nation&#39;s caring mother figure. Some Western media compared Sirikit favourably to former US first lady Jackie Kennedy in rapturous coverage of her tenure on the front pages of their glossy magazines. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul delayed his departure to Malaysia on Saturday for a summit of ASEAN leaders where he was due to sign a peace deal with Cambodia, witnessed by US President Donald Trump. But he still jetted out for a quick turnaround endorsement of the pact, made after cross-border clashes in July killed more than 40 people and forced around 300,000 to flee their homes. &quot;I send my condolences to the Great People of Thailand,&quot; Trump said on social media, en route to Malaysia on Sunday morning. &quot;In order to accommodate everyone for this major event, we will be signing the Peace Deal immediately upon arrival.&quot; Sirikit&#39;s husband King Bhumibol Adulyadej&#39;s lengthy reign from 1946 until 2016 was bookended by World War II and Trump&#39;s first inauguration. Though Bhumibol&#39;s son inherited the throne about nine years ago, many still revere him as the nation&#39;s most steadfast figurehead -- and Sirikit as his constant companion. She retired from the public eye in recent years, her privacy sealed by strict lese majeste laws that limit what can be reported about the royal family. Sirikit had &quot;suffered several illnesses&quot; while hospitalized since 2019, including a blood infection this month, the palace said in a statement. But in her glamorous heyday in the 1960s she mingled with US presidents and superstars such as Elvis Presley, while at home touring Thailand to visit villagers in rural areas. She was referred to as the &quot;Mother of the Nation&quot; and her birthday was designated the country&#39;s Mothers&#39; Day.

Thailand’s former Queen Sirikit, revered as the “Mother of the Nation,” died at 93. Her year-long funeral began Sunday in Bangkok. Citizens mourn publicly, while the royal family remains central to Thailand’s cultural and political life.

Year-long funeral starts for Thailand's former queen Sirikit

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ISLAMABAD: Malaysia and the United States will facilitate a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said on Tuesday. Mohamad said he hopes the ceasefire will be signed during the upcoming ASEAN leaders meeting in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur from October 26 to 28, Reuters reported. The Malaysian foreign minister said that US President Donald Trump would be in Malaysia on October 26.&nbsp; Five-day conflict&nbsp;Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia over undemarcated points along their 817-km (508-mile) land border erupted into a deadly five-day conflict in July. The worst fighting between the two countries in over a decade saw at least 48 people killed and hundreds of thousands temporarily displaced on both sides. US role&nbsp;On July 28, 2025, US President Donald Trump, in a post on social media, announced that both countries had reached a ceasefire.&nbsp; He stated: &quot;Just spoke to the Acting Prime Minister of Thailand and Prime Minister of Cambodia. I am pleased to announce that, after the involvement of President Donald J. Trump, both Countries have reached a CEASEFIRE and PEACE... I am proud to be the President of PEACE!&quot;&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 873px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1949852573063618656&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=a5f79aa1301ada6679a4d5a7cf4559c93101e530&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1949852573063618656"></iframe></div></div>

Malaysian foreign minister says Malaysia and the United States will facilitate a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia; says US President Donald Trump will be in Malaysia on October 26. 

Thailand, Cambodia to sign ceasefire at ASEAN summit: Malaysian minister 

BANGKOK &mdash; Thailand&rsquo;s new prime minister told lawmakers on Monday that his government would address the country&rsquo;s economic woes, find solutions to the ongoing border conflict with Cambodia through diplomacy and push for a new and more democratic constitution. Anutin Charnvirakul faces a self-imposed deadline. He had promised to call elections in four months in exchange for the People&rsquo;s Party &mdash; which holds the most seats in Parliament &mdash; supporting his bid to become prime minister. He was elected in Parliament earlier this month.&nbsp;The party has a progressive platform and has long sought to change the existing constitution imposed under military rule, saying it wants to make it more democratic. Anutin had promised to call a referendum for an elected constituent assembly to draft a new charter.&nbsp;He said in his inaugural speech in Parliament on Monday that his government will support the referendum and public participation to uphold the country&rsquo;s constitutional monarchy.&nbsp;Anutin also promised to tackle corruption and crime and &ldquo;restore faith and happiness to the Thai people.&rdquo;&nbsp;Anutin is constricted in what he can do by the four-month deadline, but also the terms of his deal with the People&rsquo;s Party, which declared it would act as the opposition in the legislature, potentially voting against Anutin&#39;s initiatives.&nbsp;Thai government will also seek to relieve household debt and reduce the rising cost of electricity, gasoline and transport, and move to alleviate fallouts from trade wars and U.S. tariff policy, Anutin said.&nbsp;He told lawmakers he will push for a referendum on whether Thailand should revoke the existing memorandum of understanding on border issues with Cambodia.&nbsp;The two neighbors engaged in a five-day armed conflict in late July that killed dozens of civilians and soldiers and displaced more than 260,000 people. The countries&rsquo; competing territorial claims have not been resolved, and the risk of further fighting remains high despite a cease-fire agreement.&nbsp;Anutin also said the government will crack down on illegal gambling and strive to improve the country&#39;s natural disaster alert system, promote clean energy and tackle air pollution.&nbsp;Anutin, who heads the Bhumjaithai Party, succeeded the Pheu Thai Party&rsquo;s Paetongtarn Shinawatra. She was dismissed after being found guilty of ethics violations over a politically compromising phone call with Cambodia&rsquo;s Senate President Hun Sen.&nbsp;

Thailand’s new PM Anutin Charnvirakul pledges economic reform, a democratic constitution, and diplomatic resolution to the Cambodia border conflict, while facing a four-month deadline and opposition pressure from the People’s Party.

Articles tagged with "Thailand"