Thailand has released 18 Cambodian soldiers who had been held since July following deadly clashes along the disputed border between the two countries. The handover comes under the ceasefire agreement reached on Saturday to halt weeks of fighting.
The transfer was delayed by one day after Thailand raised concerns about alleged violations of the truce. The release eventually went ahead after sustained diplomatic efforts by China aimed at ensuring the ceasefire remains intact.
Tensions along the Thailand–Cambodia border escalated sharply earlier this month, after years of simmering disputes. The fighting lasted several weeks and forced close to one million civilians to flee their homes in affected areas.
Under the ceasefire deal, both sides agreed to freeze troop positions at current front lines, prohibit reinforcements and allow displaced civilians to return to border communities as soon as conditions permit.
The Cambodian soldiers, dressed in civilian clothing, were escorted to a border checkpoint where they were formally handed over to Cambodian authorities. Their detention since July, during an earlier phase of the conflict, had fuelled strong nationalist sentiment in Cambodia and was a key issue in negotiations with Thailand.
Thailand’s foreign ministry described the release as a “gesture of goodwill” and expressed hope that Cambodia would respond with “concrete actions” to uphold the ceasefire. Cambodian officials confirmed the soldiers’ return, with the defence ministry stating it hoped the move would help strengthen mutual trust and confidence.
The ceasefire agreement required the soldiers to be released within 72 hours, by Tuesday midday local time. However, Bangkok said the process was delayed after accusing Phnom Penh of breaching the truce by flying more than 250 drones into Thai territory on Sunday. Despite these claims, the ceasefire has so far remained in place.
The border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia dates back more than a century, but tensions intensified earlier this year following a nationalist incident at a contested temple site. A Cambodian soldier was killed in May, and heavy fighting in July left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead, with thousands displaced.
A previous ceasefire, brokered by US President Donald Trump in July and formally signed in October, collapsed earlier this month amid renewed hostilities and mutual accusations. The latest agreement is now seen as a critical test of both sides’ willingness to de-escalate.
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