By The South Asia Times

PHNOM PENH/BANGKOK — A fragile calm returned to the Thailand–Cambodia border on Saturday after an immediate ceasefire took effect at 12:00 noon local time, following days of intense clashes that left around 100 people, including soldiers from both sides, dead, according to official statements and preliminary reports.

The fighting erupted earlier this month along multiple contested stretches of the border, with both countries accusing each other of initiating hostilities and violating sovereignty.

Cambodian officials said Thai forces used heavy artillery, drones, armored vehicles and fighter jets in strikes that hit border villages and nearby civilian areas, triggering evacuations and widespread panic. Thailand, in turn, accused Cambodian units of cross-border attacks and firing into Thai territory, prompting retaliatory military action.

The violence displaced around one million civilians on both sides and caused damage to homes, schools and local infrastructure, heightening fears of a wider escalation between the two Southeast Asian neighbors, whose border has long been disputed in certain areas.

The ceasefire was agreed during the 3rd Special General Border Committee (GBC) meeting and formally announced in a joint statement shared by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on his official X account on Saturday.

Under the agreement, both sides committed to an immediate halt to all hostilities involving any type of weapon, the freezing of current troop deployments, and a ban on further troop movements or reinforcements along the entire border.

The joint statement also calls for restraint, urging both militaries to avoid provocative actions, misinformation and any use of force against civilians or civilian infrastructure. Importantly, the ceasefire is “without prejudice” to border demarcation issues, with both countries agreeing to resume survey and demarcation work through the Joint Boundary Commission to seek a lasting solution.

Provisions were also included to allow displaced civilians to return safely to their homes and livelihoods, and to strengthen cooperation on humanitarian demining and transnational crime prevention.

While the ceasefire has been welcomed by regional observers as a crucial step toward de-escalation, residents along the border remain cautious, hoping the agreement will hold and prevent further bloodshed after one of the deadliest flare-ups between Thailand and Cambodia in recent years.