Anutin explained to Trump that Thailand retaliated against Cambodia to protect its sovereignty and people, emphasizing that Cambodia must be the one to cease fire.

Anutin explained that Trump confirmed Thailand retaliated against Cambodia to protect its sovereignty and the lives of its people. He emphasized that Cambodia must be the one to cease fire, withdraw troops, and clear all newly planted landmines first. He also revealed that Trump confirmed he would not involve the border issue in considering trade deals.

(December 12, 2025) At approximately 10:00 PM, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul held a press conference after a telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump at the Dome Room, Thai Khu Fah Building, Government House. Minister of Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkaew and Minister of Commerce Supajee Suthamphan were also present during the conversation.

Mr. Anutin said that President Trump was concerned about the situation and wanted everything to return to how it was before, which was the Joint Declaration signed in Malaysia. The Prime Minister confirmed to the US President that Thailand has always complied with the terms of the Joint Declaration and has never deviated from them in any way.

However, Prime Minister Anutin stated that Cambodia was the one violating the agreement. If the violation results in loss of limbs, life, or property for Thailand, Thailand will be compelled to retaliate to defend its sovereignty, territory, Thai property, and most importantly, the lives of its people.

This clarification was provided to President Trump to prevent any misunderstanding that Thailand was the aggressor or intruder against Cambodia.

"President Trump wants a ceasefire. He told me that if there's to be a ceasefire, we should first inform our friends. And it shouldn't just be a ceasefire; there needs to be a public announcement to the world that Cambodia will cease fire, withdraw its troops, and remove all unexploded ordnance. And this must be demonstrated concretely."

Mr. Anutin also stated that, under the joint declaration, Thailand and Cambodia are required to jointly conduct humanitarian mine clearance operations. The Asian Observation Team (AOT), which witnessed the event, has confirmed in writing that the mines that injured and killed Thai soldiers were new mines that had recently been laid. This clearly indicates that Cambodia has violated the agreement.

“After listening, President Trump said he understood the situation and that if anything else happened, the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Mr. Sihasak) could contact the U.S. Secretary of State directly at any time. At the same time, President Trump indicated that he could also call him anytime, but did not provide his personal phone number.”

Mr. Anutin also revealed that he is confident Thailand can manage the situation and emphasized that Thailand's actions are strictly in accordance with Thai and international law. Furthermore, the Prime Minister regularly holds meetings with the commanders of all branches of the armed forces and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, and all parties are confident in their mutual support towards a common goal.

In addition, the telephone conversation also discussed trade issues. Mr. Anutin stated that Trump confirmed he would remove border issues from consideration and pledged to review trade deals in a way that would give Thailand better benefits than other countries.

"He said he had forgotten to order it earlier because he was very busy. President Trump apologized and confirmed that he would proceed. It is believed that the issue discussed by the two leaders will definitely be raised during the next round of negotiations, which will be conducted by Ms. Supajee, the Minister of Commerce."

Mr. Anutin further revealed that the discussions did not involve Thailand's elections in relation to protecting sovereignty or national defense. In the current situation, political issues or elections are not as important as preventing injuries or deaths among soldiers and civilians from aggression along the border.

Keep up with the situation on the Thai-Cambodian border (updated throughout the day)