Overview
- The cease-fire took effect at midday local time on December 27 under a Joint Declaration signed by defense ministers Tea Seiha and Nattaphon Narkphanit during a GBC meeting at the Prum–Ban Pak Kard crossing with ASEAN observers present.
- The agreement outlines 16 de-escalation measures that halt all weapons use, bar troop movements or increases, restrict military airspace activity, and set up bilateral border coordination units with reinforced ASEAN verification.
- Thailand is obligated to repatriate 18 Cambodian soldiers once the truce holds effectively for 72 hours, a provision described by Thai officials as an initial observation period to confirm compliance.
- Weeks of fighting left more than 40 people dead and triggered large-scale displacement, with Thailand reporting 26 soldiers and additional civilian deaths while Cambodia cites civilian casualties; Cambodia reported an F-16 bombing acknowledged by the Thai army.
- The UN secretary-general welcomed the pause as relief for civilians, though core disputes over border demarcation and temple sovereignty, including Preah Vihear, remain unresolved and could test the truce’s durability.