Shelling Persists on Thai-Cambodian Border as PM Rejects Trump’s Ceasefire Claim
Border villagers woke up to fresh artillery thunder, not the silence promised by social-media diplomacy. While former US President Donald Trump broadcast that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to put down their guns, shells continued to fall on both sides of the frontier, leaving Thais wondering whom to trust and how long the fighting will last.
Snapshot for Residents
• Border clashes entered their 7th day despite external calls for peace.
• Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul flatly denies any ceasefire deal with Donald Trump.
• BM-21 rockets hit civilian zones in Sisaket and Buriram, injuring locals.
• More than 260,000 Thais have moved into emergency shelters; cross-border trade is frozen.
• United States threatens to link trade talks to a truce, but Bangkok says sovereignty comes first.
• Cambodia claims 11 civilian deaths on its side and accuses Thailand of airstrikes.
• Malaysian Premier Anwar distances himself from “ceasefire” wording, urging only a night-time lull.
Competing Narratives From Washington and Phnom Penh
Donald Trump told his 89 M followers that a “full ceasefire” had been secured after separate calls with Anutin and Cambodian leader Hun Manet. Within hours, Phnom Penh’s defence ministry accused Thailand of “new air raids” and closed every official crossing. The mixed messaging left Bangkok fuming. Thai officials insist the phone chat with Trump amounted to a routine situational update, not a treaty. Meanwhile, Cambodia’s public statements oscillate between calls for peaceful dialogue and allegations of Thai “invasions”.
Bangkok's Red Lines: Sovereignty First
Inside Government House, advisers repeat the same mantra: “No country can negotiate away its borders.” Anutin argues that Thailand is exercising its right of self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter. He points to 116 Thai troop casualties and BM-21 salvos landing in schoolyards as proof that Phnom Penh must act first. The premier also hints that Washington’s pressure could backfire, noting that “trade and trenches are separate conversations.” Thai strategists add that any premature pause would allow Cambodian rocket batteries to reposition, further endangering Isan provinces.
Voices and Victims on the Frontier
In Kantharalak district, shopkeeper Somjai Prasert packs what remains of her grocery into a pickup bound for a temple shelter. “Every boom rattles the glass, and Trump says we’re at peace?” she scoffs. Provincial officials confirm 35,623 people now sleep in temporary halls, and demand for fuel, blankets and drinking water has spiked. Medical teams from Surin Hospital report treating dozens of patients with shrapnel wounds and traumatic amputations. On the Cambodian side, Uddor Meanchey province has recorded 72 civilian injuries from Thai artillery, according to local NGOs. The plight of these communities, separated by a thin slash of jungle, underscores the human cost of diplomatic misfires.
Legal and Diplomatic Calculus
Thai international-law scholars largely back the government’s stance, arguing that defensive operations remain proportional given the scale of incoming fire. Yet NGOs warn that repeated airstrikes near temples could invite war-crimes scrutiny. ASEAN has offered quiet shuttle diplomacy, but Bangkok remains wary of “external observers on Thai soil.” The Foreign Ministry is preparing a dossier of radar tracks, drone footage and crater analyses to counter any claim of excessive force. Meanwhile, US trade envoys hint that tariff talks may stall if fighting drags on, a lever Washington hopes will move Bangkok toward compromise.
What to Watch Next
Analysts outline three potential tracks:
Localized de-escalation, brokered by Malaysia, starting with a nightly firing freeze.
Protracted skirmishes until one side secures a tactical edge around disputed ridge lines.
Full regional intervention, should civilian deaths climb and ASEAN unity fray.
For residents of Thailand’s northeast, the key question is simpler: when will it be safe to farm, trade and sleep without flinching at the crack of artillery? Until a verifiable agreement replaces conflicting tweets, the answer remains painfully uncertain.
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