Thailand and Cambodia to talk peace in Malaysia after Trump’s tariff threat

Breakthrough comes after US president speaks with Thai and Cambodian leaders

Cambodian and Thai leaders will meet on Monday for talks to end the border conflict that has left at least 35 people dead and displaced thousands more.

Cambodian premier Hun Manet will meet Thai acting prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur to seek a resolution to the deadliest conflict in more than a decade between the Southeast Asian countries, Thai government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub said, adding that they will be joined by American and Chinese delegates.

The Cambodian prime minister confirmed his participation late Sunday night. He also said China, a close ally, will attend the meeting.

“I will lead the Cambodian delegation to attend a special meeting in Kuala Lumpur hosted by Malaysia and co-organised by the United States and with participation of China,” he said.

The conflict, which began on 24 July, has killed at least 35 people and displaced over 200,000 on both sides of the disputed border.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio said American officials were in Malaysia to help secure peace. Donald Trump had earlier said he thought the leaders of both Thailand and Cambodia wanted to settle the conflict.

"We want this conflict to end as soon as possible," Mr Rubio said. "State Department officials are on the ground in Malaysia to assist these peace efforts.”

The talks will start at 3pm local time.

A house damaged by a Cambodia artillery shell in Surin province of Thailand (AP)

After the conflict broke out last week, Malaysia offered to facilitate talks to end the hostilities in its role as the current chair of the Asean regional bloc.

The breakthrough came after Mr Trump said that Thai and Cambodian leaders were willing to “quickly work out a ceasefire”. The US president said on Sunday he had threatened to pull out of deals to reduce tariffs on both nations unless they agreed to stop fighting.

“I called the prime minister of each and said, 'We're not going to make a trade deal unless you settle a war.’ I think they want to settle," he said.

Cambodians displaced by the fighting crowd to receive drinking water donated by a local company as they take refuge in a primary school in Oddar Meanchey province (AP)

Both countries thanked Mr Trump for his efforts even as fighting continued through Sunday.

The Cambodian premier said earlier on Sunday his country had agreed to pursue an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire”. He said Mr Trump had told him Thailand was ready to end fighting following the American president’s conversation with the acting prime minister.

Mr Phumtham thanked the US president and qualified Thailand’s position saying that it had agreed in principle to a ceasefire but stressed the need for “sincere intention” from Cambodia, according to the Thai foreign ministry.

An aerial view shows displaced people taking shelter near a pagoda in Oddar Meanchey province of Cambodia (AFP via Getty)

The fighting started on Thursday after a landmine explosion wounded Thai soldiers and gunshots were fired, with each side blaming the other for starting the clashes.

The 817km frontier between Thailand and Cambodia has been disputed for decades but previous confrontations have been limited and brief.

In the latest conflict, both sides have employed rocket and artillery systems, and a Thai military spokesperson confirmed cluster munitions could be used “when necessary” after Cambodia claimed the internationally prohibited weapons were being deployed by the neighbouring country.