Thailand delays POW return, accuses Cambodia of ceasefire breach

Randy Thanthong-Knight, Bloomberg News on Dec 30, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

Thailand is still considering when to release 18 Cambodian soldiers captured in July, delaying a decision originally expected by midday Tuesday over accusations Cambodia breached the terms of a recent ceasefire.

As part of the most recent agreement to pause fighting, which took effect Saturday, Bangkok said it would consider repatriating the POWs if the halt holds for 72 hours.

But it’s now reconsidering the timing of the release after Cambodia violated the terms of the agreement by infringing on Thai airspace, Nikorndej Balankura, foreign ministry spokesman, said in a briefing.

The Thai army Monday said that more than 250 drones flew into its airspace Sunday night from Cambodia at multiple border points, describing it as a “provocation” and a violation of the deal. Cambodia denied the accusation and imposed a nationwide drone ban. Thailand also said that a soldier was maimed in a land mine blast Saturday.

Nikorndej added that the defense ministries of both countries have been in contact.

Fighting in July and again earlier this month along their shared 800-kilometer (500-mile) frontier has left dozens dead and displaced hundreds of thousands of people living close to the border. While the origins of the conflict can be traced to territorial disputes over colonial-era maps, the recent fighting has also been fueled by nationalist sentiment and a complex battle over so-called scam compounds in Cambodia.

Both the U.S. and China have sought to end the hostilities, which President Donald Trump demanding since the July surge in violence to halt fighting or face higher tariffs. Beijing has recently been seeking a more public role as a mediator, and has tried to contrast its approach to diplomacy with Trump’s threats.

Thailand captured the soldiers shortly after a late-July ceasefire was declared, and has maintained that they would only be released after hostilities cease. Cambodia has said the soldiers were unlawfully detained.