When Donald Trump announced that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to “cease all shooting,” Bangkok responded with something rare in international politics: a public, unambiguous no. Within hours, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul made it clear that no such truce existed, that Thai forces were still engaged along the border, and that the former U.S. president’s version of events belonged more to social‑media theatrics than to real‑world diplomacy.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has flatly denied former U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion that Thailand and Cambodia agreed to “cease all shooting.” Instead, Anutin says Thailand will continue military operations until it no longer faces threats to its land or people.
Thailand’s message was unmistakable: its national security is not a backdrop for someone else’s political storytelling. By rejecting Trump’s claim — and by insisting the landmine blast was an attack, not an “accident” — Bangkok exposed the widening gap between performative peacemaking and the hard, dangerous work of defending territory.
This is not just a rebuttal. It’s a reminder that Southeast Asian states are no longer willing to let outside powers narrate their conflicts for them.
