U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he believed Thailand and Cambodia were “going to be fine” after he attempted to mediate rising tensions over a disputed border area, even as Thailand continued to insist that Phnom Penh apologize for an alleged landmine incident that injured its soldiers earlier in the week.
The renewed dispute has placed fresh strain on a fragile ceasefire brokered by the United States and Malaysia in July, following some of the worst fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbors in years.
The Thai government suspended the U.S.-backed agreement earlier this week after accusing Cambodia of laying new landmines along the border, an allegation Phnom Penh denies. The mines reportedly injured several Thai soldiers, prompting Bangkok to demand formal acknowledgment and an apology before reinstating the ceasefire.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Thailand “has the right to take any action necessary to protect its sovereignty and ensure the safety of its people and property from foreign threats,” according to a statement he posted on Facebook.
He added that during conversations with President Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who both helped mediate the July truce, he urged them to press Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet to abide by the agreement and refrain from interfering with mine-removal operations.
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In a separate Facebook post, Hun Manet said Cambodia was continuing to follow the terms of the ceasefire and hoped both sides would “work together in accordance with the agreed principles and mechanism.”
He made no reference to Thailand’s demand for an apology, and Cambodia has consistently denied laying any additional landmines in the area.
Speaking to reporters on Friday evening, Trump said he had spoken with “the prime ministers of both countries,” adding that “they’re doing great” and that he believed the two nations were “going to be fine.”
A White House official confirmed that Trump also engaged with Malaysian officials on Friday as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts.
Malaysia’s Anwar later wrote on X that both Cambodia and Thailand had expressed readiness to “continue choosing the space for dialogue and diplomatic efforts as an effective path to resolution.”
Thailand and Cambodia have faced recurring clashes for decades along parts of their shared frontier, where competing territorial claims and lingering landmines from past conflicts remain a persistent source of friction.
The most recent outbreak of violence in July left at least 48 people dead and temporarily displaced an estimated 300,000 residents, according to previous official statements, before Washington and Kuala Lumpur stepped in to broker an emergency ceasefire.