Thailand in shock as United States abruptly halts trade talks after Prime Minister Anutin declares Cambodia peace deal dead following landmine blast that injured Thai soldiers, with Washington demanding the pact be restored before trade talks can resume.
Thailand was left reeling on Saturday after the United States abruptly pulled out of tariff negotiations, striking at an economic plan launched by the Pheu Thai–led government in August. The move followed a tense call between President Trump and Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. On Tuesday, Anutin declared the US-brokered peace declaration with Cambodia dead after a landmine injured Thai soldiers, adding he did not care about the tariff deal or the fallout from suspending the accord. He confirmed this stance to Trump on Friday, even as Thailand insisted it remained open to talks. Washington now demands that the peace pact be restored before trade discussions can resume.
Relations between Thailand and the United States deteriorated sharply late Friday as Washington suspended trade negotiations. The decision landed only hours after a tense exchange between Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and US President Donald Trump.
It also followed a call from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who joined efforts to salvage the Kuala Lumpur Declaration signed on October 26. However, Thailand had already halted its obligations under that pact after a landmine blast injured four Thai soldiers on Monday.
The suspension of talks stunned Thai officials. Yet the United States insisted that trade discussions could resume only when Thailand recommitted to the October 26 agreement. The US position immediately triggered criticism in Bangkok because Thai officials said border security must not be linked to trade. Moreover, Thai authorities argued that Cambodia had violated the pact by placing new mines on Thai soil.
Thailand faces border and trade tensions after US suspension of talks following pact’s rejection
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Anutin travelled to Sisaket. The PM stood with top military officers and declared that peace with Cambodia was finished. Anutin said Cambodia had broken the agreement. He added that he no longer cared about US tariff threats. Undeniably, his macho stance hardened Thailand’s position and pushed the two neighbours further from negotiations.
Meanwhile, border violence continued. Thai and Cambodian forces exchanged accusations after fresh clashes. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said Thai forces fired across the border and killed a civilian.
Thai officials denied the claim and pointed to the landmine attack. Villagers on both sides heard small-arms fire on Thursday. Many continued working in their fields despite the risk.
Later on Friday, Prime Minister Anutin spoke again with President Trump and Prime Minister Anwar. The three discussed the border conflict and the collapse of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration. Anutin presented an 11-point summary of Thailand’s position.
He said observers confirmed that newly planted mines caused the injuries at Phu Makhuea. He said these mines were placed after the agreement. Thus, he said, Cambodia had violated its commitments.
Anutin details eleven points on Cambodia violations after fresh border clash and mine injuries to soldiers
Mr. Anutin also told Trump and Anwar that Thailand would suspend all actions under the declaration. The Thai PM said Cambodia must admit its failure, accept responsibility, and apologise to the Thai public. He said Thailand retained full authority to protect its sovereignty. In addition, he said Thailand could take retaliatory action if required. He told both leaders that Thailand had no intention of invading Cambodia but could not accept new threats.
The prime minister also recounted Thailand’s long history of sheltering Cambodian refugees. Anutin said the public was saddened and disappointed by the latest incident.
The Thai leader then urged Trump and Anwar to pressure Cambodia to comply with the Kuala Lumpur terms. He said Cambodia must not obstruct Thai demining operations. He added that the coordinates for clearance were fixed by Thai forces.
During the call, Trump asked about problems in trade negotiations. Anutin requested further tariff cuts. Trump replied that the existing 19% rate was very low. The Thai prime minister disagreed.
He said he had requested further reductions in South Korea because Thailand had cooperated with the United States. He asked Trump to “show some face.” Trump said he would speak with Cambodia. He added that he might consider lower tariffs if Thailand cleared landmines quickly.
Malaysia and US leaders stress adherence to declaration and urge cooperation on Thai border issues
Prime Minister Anwar said he would move rapidly in preparing ASEAN documents to reinforce understanding of the declaration. He said both sides must respect its conditions. Before ending the calls, both Trump and Anwar sent greetings to the Thai people. Anutin explained that his message to the public was delayed because of duties in China.
Despite these exchanges, Washington hardened its position late Friday. The Deputy US Trade Representative formally notified Thailand that talks under the reciprocal trade framework agreement would be suspended.
The official said discussions could resume once Thailand respected the October 26 declaration. The instruction contrasted with Trump’s optimistic comments on Air Force One. Trump said he had stopped a war “through the use of tariffs” and through discussions with both prime ministers. He said he believed they were “doing great.”
However, Thai officials said the suspension underscored confusion within the US administration. They also said the US side failed to understand Thailand’s view that trade and security were separate matters.
US suspends trade talks while Thailand maintains security, and trade issues must remain separate
Speaking on Saturday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nikorndej Plankul said Thailand was disappointed. He said Thailand had consistently separated border security from economic cooperation. He added that trade with the United States remained a bilateral matter of mutual benefit.
Still, he acknowledged that Trump told Anutin the United States did not intend to interfere in the dispute. Trump also said he would raise the issue with the US Trade Representative. Nikorndej said Thailand appreciated earlier US efforts to ease tensions.
Yet he stressed that progress now depended on Cambodia. He said the Cambodian government must accept responsibility for the landmine incident and must prevent further violations.
Meanwhile, Thai ministers travelling with King Maha Vajiralongkorn in Beijing confirmed the suspension of the breakthrough peace plan. They repeated that Thailand remained open to talks. But they added that negotiations could not continue until Cambodia complied with its commitments. They also said Cambodia must be sincere toward the four states that signed the Kuala Lumpur Declaration.
Thai ministers confirm suspension of peace plan in Beijing but remain open to further talks with Cambodia
Later on Saturday, the Thai Foreign Ministry said the United States had failed to recognise that the peace pact and trade issues were entirely separate. However, the ministry said President Trump had interrelated the two issues since July. Thai officials said the linkage complicated efforts to stabilise the border.
Domestic political pressure intensified as well. Opposition parties accused Prime Minister Anutin of damaging Thailand’s economic interests. Top People’s Party spokespeople said his nationalistic tone isolated Thailand in its dispute with Cambodia.
In particular, They said he should have brought evidence from Monday’s blast to the United States and Malaysia instead of abandoning the accord. They said the government’s approach reduced Thailand’s leverage.
As tensions deepened, more facts emerged about the collapse of the peace process. The Thai military said the four-point roadmap could not continue after Monday’s blast. Cambodian forces denied responsibility. However, Thai officers insisted the mines were new. They said they had followed every step of the agreement, while Cambodia had not.
Opposition criticises Anutin for abandoning the peace accord while military cites Cambodian violations
The collapse of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration came less than three weeks after it was signed. President Trump had promoted it as a chance to save “millions of lives.” He had used tariffs as leverage to encourage cooperation. Cambodia had embraced the agreement.
Hun Manet even proposed nominating Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize. The United States also signed a separate trade deal with Cambodia in Kuala Lumpur. Commerce officials expected similar progress with Thailand before Friday’s suspension.
Along the border, residents braced for more violence. Many said they heard gunfire on Thursday but continued farming. They said they needed to work to survive. One resident of Khantarak district said villagers expected the situation to worsen. The local said they would continue their activities unless rockets were fired. Of course, he said he no longer believed in international diplomacy. He said the conflict would continue until one side lost.
Across the region, memories of July’s clashes remained strong. Dozens were killed then in a major flare-up triggered by old grievances. Cambodia fired rockets deep into Thai territory, killing civilians. Thai forces responded with air sorties and missiles. The Kuala Lumpur agreement was designed to halt such cycles. But the new escalation showed it had not taken root.
Kuala Lumpur Declaration fails to prevent renewed border clashes as residents brace for ongoing violence
On Saturday, Hun Manet said Cambodia would continue to implement the agreement. He said he hoped both sides would work with agreed principles. He said Phnom Penh would follow the mechanisms laid out in the declaration.
Thai officials, however, said the next steps depended on Cambodia’s stance. They said Cambodia must acknowledge the facts and accept responsibility for the landmine blast.
For now, both countries remain locked in a standoff. Trade talks with the United States are frozen. Thailand insists security issues must be separated from trade. The United States insists that Thailand must return to the peace pact. Cambodia says it will continue with the agreement. The border remains tense.
Thai soldiers patrol areas where mines have been found. Villagers listen for gunfire. Officials prepare for more talks, though none have been announced.
The crisis shows no sign of easing. Thailand has suspended its obligations. The United States has halted negotiations. Cambodia denies wrongdoing. The Kuala Lumpur Declaration hangs in the balance. And both sides brace for the next move.
Border tensions remain high as trade talks freeze and Kuala Lumpur Declaration hangs in balance
Meanwhile, in the Bhumjaithai Party stronghold of Buriram near the conflict zone with Cambodia, there is support among the public for Prime Minister Anutin’s stance. Indeed, his rhetoric since last Monday has been along these lines.
It fits well with a nationalistic, anti-Western posture which appeals to core conservative voters who are to be the Bhumjaithai Party’s base in a general election that Thailand is presently hurtling towards sooner rather than later.
At the same time, the Prime Minister’s contact with Trump and his strong stand against Cambodia helps him deflect from the pressure he is under over the international scammer centre issue.
However, there is a very real danger that with both the issue of the scam centre threat and the rebuff to the United States, Thailand’s relationship with Washington, DC, will sink to a dangerous level of discord.
Public and political support for Anutin rises in Buriram even as US relations face growing tensions
The current investigations into the international scammer gangs, of course, pinpoint Cambodia as the heart of the affair. However, Thailand has been implicated in both indirect assistance through corruption and money laundering.
The issue is rising high in Washington with the Secret Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) now actively pursuing the matter. Therefore, the US President is well briefed on what the true story may be.
Malaysian PM trying to hold together Thai Cambodian peace pact repudiated this week by Anutin in Sisaket
Fear of renewed hostilities. Thailand scraps Trump’s peace deal with Cambodia. ‘Peace is over’ says PM
Prime Minister Anutin signs accord with Cambodia, witnessed by US President Trump, in Kuala Lumpur
The United States is Thailand’s largest export market. It also has a powerful impact on the country’s financial markets. Undoubtedly, this is a particularly dangerous moment for the kingdom, especially given the unpredictable nature of this US administration.
Join the Thai News forum, follow Thai Examiner on Facebook here
Receive all our stories as they come out on Telegram here
Follow Thai Examiner here
Further reading:
Trump brokered peace pact between Thailand and Cambodia suspended after landmine attack this week
Prime Minister Anutin signs accord with Cambodia witnessed by US President Trump in Kuala Lumpur
Trump to oversee ground breaking new deal between Thailand and Cambodia on Saturday to map border
High powered, secretive meeting chaired by PM agrees robust action against Cambodian networks
Thailand and Cambodia face danger from ‘Dragon Head’ the Chinese mafia leader behind the scams
