🔗 Share this article

Washington has exerted influence on Thailand to recommit to a truce deal with the Cambodian side, warning that trade talks could be suspended as attempts are made to prevent a Trump-mediated ceasefire arrangement from collapsing.

Border Tensions Escalate

In recent days, Thailand declared it was suspending the truce agreement, alleging Cambodian forces of planting new explosives along the mutual frontier, among them an incident that reportedly injured a Thai military personnel on patrol, who lost a foot in the explosion.

Since then, one person has been killed and multiple individuals injured by exchanges of fire along the Thai-Cambodia frontier, raising concerns of a new round of retaliatory clashes.

American Economic Leverage

Over the weekend, a representative from Thailand's foreign office told journalists that a letter from the Office of the US Trade Representative announcing the pause in trade negotiations was obtained on Friday night.

He quoted the letter as saying that trade negotiations – which are addressing a US tariff of 19% – could resume once Thailand renewed its pledge to carrying out the mutual truce agreement.

“Tariff negotiations will continue and remain separate from border issues,” stated a different official representative.

Trump’s Tariff Threat

Speaking to the press on Air Force One as he flew to Florida on the end of the week, Trump implied that he had used the “threat of tariffs” in discussions with the ASEAN nation heads.

He stated, “I stopped a war just today through the use of tariffs, the threat of tariffs,” adding, “they’re doing great. I think they’re gonna be fine.”

Ceasefire Agreement Background

Trump oversaw the signing of a peace deal, conducted in Malaysian territory this October, and has touted it as one of multiple agreements around the globe he claims should win him the prestigious peace award.

The most severe clashes in a ten years between military forces of both nations broke out in July, with gunfire, artillery and airstrikes causing numerous fatalities and 300,000 displaced.

Longstanding Border Dispute

The two neighboring countries have a historic territorial disagreement that dates back to conflicts regarding maps from the colonial period created by French cartographers. Ancient temples along the border are disputed by each nation.

International news agency contributed to this report.