The US President held a telephone conversation with acting Thai PM Phumtham Wechayachai after Thailand and Cambodia reached an unconditional ceasefire in their border conflict, saying that negotiations on US tariffs will start and be advantageous to Thailand.
Phumtham said US President Donald Trump expressed admiration and praised Thailand’s courage in setting an example for peacebuilding.
“Following this, discussions on trade and tax matters will begin, which will be advantageous to Thailand. The U.S. will do its best and closely monitor the matter,” Phumtham quoted Trump as saying during the approximately 30-minute call yesterday.
Phumtham spoke to the media upon returning from Malaysia, where he and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet held peace talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim acting as mediator. Representatives from the US and China also attended the meeting as observers.
The truce talks followed a public statement by Trump, who posted on social media that he would not engage in negotiations over pending U.S. tariffs unless the fighting between Thailand and Cambodia ceased.
Just hours after his post on X (formerly Twitter), both countries agreed to meet in Kuala Lumpur.
Meanwhile, on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he had spoken with the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia after the ceasefire was declared, and claimed credit for brokering the agreement.
"Just spoke to the Acting Prime Minister of Thailand and Prime Minister of Cambodia. I am pleased to announce that, after the involvement of President Donald J. Trump, both countries have reached a CEASEFIRE and PEACE. Congratulations to all!"
Phumtham said, “I talked to the US President for about half an hour. He commended Thailand’s actions, saying they would benefit bilateral cooperation and help restore peace in the region.
“The US President said this matter would earn Thailand recognition from the international community for ending the violence and preventing further loss of life among the Thai people.”
Phumtham also noted that French President Emmanuel Macron praised Thailand’s efforts in resolving the situation.
He added that he had thanked the US for its support in helping Thailand overcome the crisis and extended an invitation for President Trump to visit Thailand, to which Trump responded positively.
When asked about Cambodia’s history of not honoring past agreements, Phumtham said the situation now involves the international community and the ASEAN Chair.
“If Cambodia behaves as it has in the past or fails to act appropriately, I believe global opinion will side with Thailand, and Cambodia will face significant international consequences,” he said.
