Thailand has released two wounded Cambodian soldiers who were captured following intense clashes near a contested border area. The soldiers were returned on Friday through a checkpoint connecting Thailand’s Surin province and Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey. This move comes as the neighbors prepare for talks next week aimed at maintaining a shaky truce.
The Cambodian Defence Ministry said the soldiers were returned through a designated border point, and spokesperson Maly Socheata urged Bangkok to repatriate the remaining captured troops “in accordance with international humanitarian law”. Eighteen other Cambodian troops captured during skirmishes on Tuesday, hours after a ceasefire deal was reached, remain in Thai custody.
The two governments have provided starkly contrasting versions of the soldiers’ capture. Phnom Penh says its troops approached Thai positions with peaceful intentions, offering post-conflict greetings. However, Bangkok disputes that account, alleging the Cambodian soldiers crossed into Thai territory with apparent hostility, prompting their detention. Thai officials say they are adhering to legal protocols while assessing the actions of the remaining soldiers.
Under the ceasefire terms, military officials from both countries are due to meet next week in Malaysia to discuss de-escalation measures. However, these talks will exclude the underlying territorial dispute, which has remained unresolved for decades. The General Border Committee, which coordinates on border security, ceasefires, and troop deployments, will meet between August 4 and 7. Defence attaches from other ASEAN countries, as well as the US and China, will be invited to attend.
The recent round of violence involved infantry clashes, Cambodian rocket fire, Thai air strikes, and artillery exchanges, killing more than 30 people, including civilians, and forcing more than 260,000 others from their homes. The ceasefire has done little to ease simmering nationalist anger online, with social media platforms in both countries flooded by patriotic fervor and mutual recriminations.
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol said Phnom Penh intends to nominate United States President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his role in brokering the ceasefire. Speaking earlier in the capital, he thanked Trump for “bringing peace” and insisted the US leader deserved the award. Similar nominations have recently come from Pakistan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, both citing Trump’s interventions in regional disputes.
The Malaysian meeting that led to the ceasefire followed direct pressure from Trump, who warned that the US might not proceed with trade deals with either country if hostilities continued. Trump congratulated the parties on reaching a ceasefire, saying, “By ending this War, we have saved thousands of lives… I have now ended many Wars in just six months — I am proud to be the President of PEACE!”