Thailand, Cambodia weigh peace talks after Trump's tariff threat
Thailand's Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said foreign ministers on both sides could soon talk, but any ceasefire agreement would be subject to conditions such as resolving the dispute bilaterally, and withdrawing troops and the use of lethal weapons. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, who has welcomed Trump's bid to end the conflict, has already assigned his foreign minister to talk with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to coordinate peace talks with Bangkok.
After separate calls with the Thai and Cambodian leaders on Saturday, Trump said they agreed to 'quickly work out a ceasefire,' according to posts on Truth Social.
Phumtham said he told Trump that Thailand wanted assurances the terms of any ceasefire agreement will not be reversed. Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa and Rubio are also scheduled to hold talks, he said.
'Bilateral negotiations, a genuine desire for a ceasefire, and the withdrawal of troops and heavy weapons from where they are now, will help assure us of their sincerity in pursuing a ceasefire agreement,' Phumtham told reporters.
Heavy artillery shelling was reported on Sunday from multiple locations across the 800-kilometre shared border. Both sides blamed the other for further renewed aggression. The Thai army said Cambodian forces launched rockets and artillery into civilian areas including homes and hospitals in the early hours of Sunday. It also warned Phnom Penh could potentially deploy long-range missiles.
A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU
Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business
Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies.
Sign Up
Sign Up
Cambodia in turn said that Thai troops were the first to launch attacks early on Sunday. Cambodia remained committed to an immediate ceasefire and to resolving all disputes through peaceful means in accordance with international law, said Maly Socheata, a spokeswoman at Cambodia's Ministry of National Defense.
Clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, which erupted on Jul 24 after monthslong tension along the border, has killed more than 30 people and displaced over 150,000 civilians on both sides.
It remains to be seen if Trump's threat of trade as a tool to end hostilities – a tactic he claims to have successfully used in halting India-Pakistan clashes in May – could lead to a lasting agreement. The Trump administration has threatened 36 per cent tariffs on both Thailand and Cambodia.
We 'do not want to make any Deal, with either Country, if they are fighting – And I have told them so,' Trump said on Truth Social. Both parties 'are also looking to get back to the 'Trading Table' with the US, which we think is inappropriate to do until such time as the fighting STOPS,' he said.
Thai officials have previously said they are nearing a deal with the US to lower the tariff with offers of greater market access to American products to narrow the US$46 billion trade surplus with Washington.
The Thai government is under pressure to strike a deal before the Aug one deadline, especially as neighbouring Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam have secured trade agreements with the Trump administration. The US is Thailand's largest export market with shipments valued at US$63 billion last year.
Thailand has put the death toll on its side at 21 including eight soldiers, with at least 36 civilians injured. Cambodia has so far reported 13 deaths including five soldiers, and injuries to 70 others.
Thailand and Cambodia have a long history of border tensions, though ties have remained mostly stable since a deadly clash in 2011 that killed dozens. The last major escalation focused on the Preah Vihear temple, a historic flashpoint rooted in disputes dating back to the French colonial period.
Much of the current dispute stems from maps drawn on differing interpretations of early 20th-century Franco-Siamese treaties, which defined the border between Thailand and Cambodia, then part of French Indochina.
Fighting erupted last week after Thailand expelled Cambodia's ambassador and recalled its own envoy from Phnom Penh in response to landmine explosions that maimed at least two Thai soldiers and injured several others. The clashes have involved fighter jets, rocket launchers and heavy artillery with Thailand using its navy to repel Cambodian attacks near the Gulf of Thailand. BLOOMBERG
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
11 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Chile will ask US to include copper within US-Chile trade deal
SANTIAGO - Chile expects US. copper tariffs to be discussed within broader US trade talks in Washington this week, Finance Minister Mario Marcel said on Monday in an interview with local radio program Duna. Marcel added that Chile would ask for any tariffs to be included within a broader trade agreement with the United States. President Trump's administration has said it will impose 50% tariffs on copper imports as of August 1. Chile is the world's top supplier of the red metal and is also the biggest provider of refined copper to the US, although it sends much higher volumes to China. Monday marks the start of a third round of talks between Chilean officials and the office of the US Trade Representative. "What we hope is that these conversations we're starting today in Washington will also cover the issue of copper," Marcel said. "Because it wouldn't be very useful for us to have a trade agreement that excludes more than half of our exports to the US, such as copper and wood." When asked if Chile would seek an exemption to the US copper tariffs imposed by Trump, the minister said they would seek for any tariffs to be included in a broader trade pact. "We want it to be part of the agreement, within the broader commercial discussions with Chile — not something handled separately — because it's a very central issue," the minister said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Cambodia, Thailand agree to 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire' to de-escalate border row Singapore Tanjong Katong sinkhole: Road recovery works progressing steadily, tests under way Singapore ST Explains: What we know about the Tanjong Katong sinkhole so far Singapore Foreign workers who rescued woman from sinkhole given tokens of appreciation Sport Gan Ching Hwee breaks 2 national records, qualifies for World Aquatics C'ships 1,500m final Asia Gunman kills 5 near Bangkok's Chatuchak market before taking own life Business SIA Q1 profit falls 59%; airline group sees volatile times ahead Singapore Man exposed daughter's identity despite court order after she was removed from his care Marcel noted that other countries have included exemptions and carve-outs in their trade agreements. REUTERS
Straits Times
41 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Chile will ask U.S. to include copper within U.S.-Chile trade deal
SANTIAGO - Chile expects U.S. copper tariffs to be discussed within broader U.S. trade talks in Washington this week, Finance Minister Mario Marcel said on Monday in an interview with local radio program Duna. Marcel added that Chile would ask for any tariffs to be included within a broader trade agreement with the United States. President Trump's administration has said it will impose 50% tariffs on copper imports as of August 1. Chile is the world's top supplier of the red metal and is also the biggest provider of refined copper to the U.S., although it sends much higher volumes to China. Monday marks the start of a third round of talks between Chilean officials and the office of the U.S. Trade Representative. "What we hope is that these conversations we're starting today in Washington will also cover the issue of copper," Marcel said. "Because it wouldn't be very useful for us to have a trade agreement that excludes more than half of our exports to the U.S., such as copper and wood." When asked if Chile would seek an exemption to the U.S. copper tariffs imposed by Trump, the minister said they would seek for any tariffs to be included in a broader trade pact. "We want it to be part of the agreement, within the broader commercial discussions with Chile — not something handled separately — because it's a very central issue," the minister said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Cambodia, Thailand agree to 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire' to de-escalate border row Singapore Tanjong Katong sinkhole: Road recovery works progressing steadily, tests under way Singapore ST Explains: What we know about the Tanjong Katong sinkhole so far Singapore Foreign workers who rescued woman from sinkhole given tokens of appreciation Sport Gan Ching Hwee breaks 2 national records, qualifies for World Aquatics C'ships 1,500m final Asia Gunman kills 5 near Bangkok's Chatuchak market before taking own life Business SIA Q1 profit falls 59%; airline group sees volatile times ahead Singapore Man exposed daughter's identity despite court order after she was removed from his care Marcel noted that other countries have included exemptions and carve-outs in their trade agreements. REUTERS
Straits Times
41 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Trump eyes 'world tariff' of 15-20% for most countries
A container is loaded onto a cargo ship while docked at a port under the Port Authority of Thailand, following the announcement that U.S. President Donald Trump would impose tariffs of 36% on goods from Thailand starting on August 1, in Bangkok, Thailand, July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo TURNBERRY, Scotland - President Donald Trump said on Monday most trading partners that do not negotiate separate trade deals would soon face tariffs of 15% to 20% on their exports to the United States, well above the broad 10% tariff he imposed in April. Trump told reporters his administration will notify some 200 countries soon of their new "world tariff" rate. "I would say it'll be somewhere in the 15 to 20% range," Trump told reporters, sitting alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at his luxury golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland. "Probably one of those two numbers." Trump, who has vowed to end decades of U.S. trade deficits by imposing tariffs on nearly all trading partners, has already announced higher rates of up to 50% on some countries, including Brazil, starting on Friday. The announcements have spurred feverish negotiations by a host of countries seeking lower tariff rates, including India, Pakistan, Canada, and Thailand, among others. The U.S. president on Sunday clinched a huge trade deal with the European Union that includes a 15% tariff on most EU goods, $600 billion of investments in the U.S. by European firms, and $750 billion in energy purchases over the next three years. That followed a $550-billion deal with Japan last week and smaller agreements with Britain, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Other talks are ongoing, including with India, but prospects have dimmed for many more agreements before Friday, Trump's deadline for deals before higher rates take effect. Trump has repeatedly said he favors straightforward tariff rates over complex negotiations. "We're going to be setting a tariff for essentially, the rest of the world," he said again on Monday. "And that's what they're going to pay if they want to do business in the United States. Because you can't sit down and make 200 deals." Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Monday trade talks with the U.S. were at an intense phase, conceding that his country was still hoping to walk away with a tariff rate below the 35% announced by Trump on some Canadian imports. Carney conceded this month that Canada - which sends 75% of its exports to the United States - would likely have to accept some tariffs. REUTERS
