Laotian Times and AFP – Laos has expressed concern over the escalating border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand, urging both sides to exercise restraint and seek a peaceful resolution through dialogue.
In a statement issued on 11 December, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Laos, as a neighbouring country sharing borders with both Cambodia and Thailand, was closely monitoring the situation.
“The Lao PDR expresses concern over the ongoing conflict between Cambodia and Thailand. As a neighboring country with a border with both countries, the Lao PDR calls on both sides to exercise restraint, refrain from the use of force, in the spirit of goodwill and friendship as ASEAN member states, return to the bilateral agreement signed on 26 October, in Kuala Lumpur, and use existing mechanisms to find a peaceful solution to the problem,” the statement said.
Latest clashes
The appeal came as tensions continued to rise along the disputed Cambodia–Thailand border, with Phnom Penh saying on 13 December that Thai forces were still carrying out airstrikes hours after US President Donald Trump announced that the two sides had agreed to halt fighting.
The latest clashes between the Southeast Asian neighbours, which stem from a long-running dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of their 800-kilometre frontier, have displaced around half a million on both sides.
Each side had blamed the other for reigniting the conflict.
“On December 13, 2025, the Thai military used two F-16 fighter jets to drop seven bombs” on a number of targets, the Cambodian defense ministry said in an X post.
“Thai military aircraft have not stopped bombing yet,” it said.
It came after US President Donald Trump said Friday that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to halt fighting along their disputed border, which has killed at least 20 people this week.
“I had a very good conversation this morning with the Prime Minister of Thailand, Anutin Charnvirakul, and the Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Manet, concerning the very unfortunate reawakening of their long-running War,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
“They have agreed to CEASE all shooting effective this evening, and go back to the original Peace Accord made with me, and them, with the help of the Great Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim,” he said, referring to a deal made in July.
“Both Countries are ready for PEACE and continued Trade with the United States of America,” Trump noted, thanking Anwar for his assistance.
Anutin had said earlier, after his call with Trump: “It needs to be announced to the world that Cambodia is going to comply with the ceasefire.”
“The one who violated the agreement needs to fix (the situation), not the one that got violated,” Anutin said, adding that the call with Trump “went well”.
The United States, China and Malaysia, as chair of the regional bloc ASEAN, brokered a ceasefire in July after an initial five-day spate of violence.
Peaceful Means
In October, Trump backed a follow-on joint declaration between Thailand and Cambodia, touting new trade deals after they agreed to prolong their truce.
But Thailand suspended the agreement the following month after Thai soldiers were wounded by landmines at the border.
“Cambodia has always been adhering to peaceful means for dispute resolutions,” Hun Manet said in a Facebook post Saturday after his call with Trump.
He added that he had suggested the US and Malaysia could use their information gathering capabilities “to verify which side opened fire first” on 7 December.
Anutin said there were “no signs” Trump would connect further trade talks with the border conflict, but that he had guaranteed Thailand would get “better benefits than other countries”.
Anutin dissolved Thailand’s parliament on 12 December after three months in office, paving the way for general elections early next year.
© Agence France-Presse
