By Kristie Lu Stout, Lauren Kent, Len Leng, Kocha Olarn and Kathleen Magramo, CNN

(CNN) — A ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia appeared to largely be holding on Tuesday as military commanders from both countries met for negotiations, even as the Thai army accused Cambodian troops of violating the truce overnight.

The leaders of the two Southeast Asian neighbors met in Malaysia on Monday and agreed to stop the deadly clashes that have been raging on their disputed border since Thursday, killing at least 38 people, mostly civilians, and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes.

The commanders of three Thai military units along the border region met their Cambodian counterparts on Tuesday and agreed to maintain the ceasefire and halt troop movement, according to Royal Thai Army spokesperson Maj. Gen. Winthai Suvaree.

Thailand’s 2nd Army Region, which has been at the center of the fiercest fighting, and Cambodia’s Military Region 4 also agreed to a ban on firing against civilians and to refrain from reinforcing troops along the border.

Winthai said that a complete ceasefire was in place along the entire border line.

The talks went ahead after Thailand accused Cambodia of violating the ceasefire after it went into effect at midnight local time (1 p.m. ET Monday).

Thailand’s Winthai said earlier Tuesday that “multiple instances” of Cambodian attacks had been reported after the midnight ceasefire, calling it an “intentional act to undermine mutual trust.”

Acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai described the overnight clashes as small and said the border area was calm on Tuesday morning.

Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata denied there was fighting after the ceasefire came into effect, but said Cambodian troops remained in position along the border.

Both sides had accused the other of starting the latest border flare-up and traded blame for the clashes. The dispute over their border goes back decades.

Two hours after the ceasefire came into effect, the Royal Thai Navy reported that fighting stopped in Thailand’s Trat province near the disputed border. On the Cambodian side, the head of an evacuation shelter told CNN they stopped hearing explosions.

News of the agreement was welcomed by residents living near the border.

“I feel a big (relief). No more heavy chest. It’s been quiet and peaceful now,” Dr. Moun Nara said 30 minutes after the ceasefire went into effect.

Agreement reached

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham on Monday agreed to an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire,” in a move announced by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who mediated the talks his current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The talks were hosted at the Malaysian Prime Minister’s official residence near the capital Kuala Lumpur. The United States and China also participated in the negotiations. ?

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio applauded the ceasefire on Monday and said the Trump administration expects the two governments “to fully honor their commitments to end this conflict.”

US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the Southeast Asian nations had agreed to ceasefire talks, but localized fighting continued throughout the weekend. Trump said he had warned the Thai and Cambodian leaders that he would not make trade deals with either country if the deadly border conflict continued.

“This is an important step towards reducing tensions and restoring peace and security,” Hun Manet said in a statement confirming the ceasefire, in which he thanked the Malaysian prime minister, the Chinese government and Trump specifically for their support in the negotiation process.

He also announced that the two countries will establish a Cambodian-Thai General Boundary Committee, which will hold an initial meeting on August 4, hosted by Cambodia.

“Today’s outcome reflects Thailand’s desire for a peaceful resolution, while continuing to protect our sovereignty and the lives of our people,” Phumtham said in the news conference. “We agreed to a ceasefire that will be carried out in good faith by both sides.”

Malaysia is prepared to deploy a team to “ensure implementation and observation” of the ceasefire, Anwar said, adding that both Thailand and Cambodia will resume direct communication at the level of prime ministers, foreign ministers and defense ministers.

Tensions rising since May

In recent decades, Thailand and Cambodia have had a complicated relationship of both cooperation and rivalry. The two countries share a 500-mile (800-kilometer) land border – largely mapped by the French when they controlled Cambodia as a colony – that has periodically seen military clashes.

Recent tension had been simmering since an encounter in May, in which a Cambodian soldier was killed.

Relations soured further following the release of a leaked phone call between Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Cambodia’s Hun Sen, the father of the current prime minister. In the call, Paetongtarn could be heard calling Hun Sen “uncle” and appeared to criticize her own army’s actions in the border dispute, which led to her suspension after opponents accusing her of compromising the country’s interests.

The most recent flare-up came after five Thai soldiers were injured in a landmine explosion last week, with the incident prompting Thailand to downgrade diplomatic relations with its neighbor.

That was followed by days of deadly clashes and heavy weapons fire across their disputed border, displacing more than 139,000 people from seven provinces in Thailand, and at least 80,000 people in Cambodia.

Thailand on Monday said 25 people have been killed since hostilities began, 14 of whom are civilians.

Cambodian authorities previously said that in Oddar Meanchey province, which borders Thailand’s Surin, 13 people had been killed, including eight civilians, and 50 wounded.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

CNN’s Helen Regan, Lex Harvey, Jonny Hallam and Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.