Can diplomacy end the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia?

Inside StoryThe neighbouring countries hold their first direct meeting in regional push for peace.Fighting has escalated between Cambodia and Thailand, forcing hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee their homes on both sides of the neighbouring countries’ border.Now, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is taking the lead in attempts to end the violence and reach a peace deal.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Thailand demands unilateral ceasefire announcement from Cambodialist 2 of 4Video: What’s behind Thailand and Cambodia’s border dispute?list 3 of 4Cambodia says Thailand bombed casino hub on border, with no truce in sightlist 4 of 4Cambodia-Thailand fighting continues as ceasefire talks loomend of listAll this comes after an attempt by United States President Donald Trump to end the war failed.The Thai and Cambodian foreign ministers are set to meet in the coming days in hopes of reaching what Thailand has called a “true ceasefire”.But without any letup in the long-running conflict, what will it take to bring it to an end?Presenter: Dareen AbughaidaGuests:Chheang Vannarith – Chairman of Angkor Social Innovation Park and a former assistant to Cambodia’s defence minister in 2011 and 2012Ilango Karuppannan – Adjunct senior fellow at the Nanyang Technological University and former Malaysian High Commissioner to SingaporePhil Robertson – Director of Asia Human Rights Labour Advocates and former deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia DivisionPublished On 22 Dec 2025