Thailand-Cambodia GBC signs ceasefire statement: 72-hour pause tied to 18 POWs
Thailand and Cambodia signed a joint statement at the GBC meeting in Chanthaburi, agreeing to a ceasefire under the Kuala Lumpur arrangement, with Cambodia accepting a 72-hour pause linked to the handover of 18 Cambodian prisoners of war, as ASEAN observers monitored.
Defence Minister Gen Natthaphon Narkphanit on Saturday (December 27, 2025) attended a meeting of the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) at the Ban Phakkad border checkpoint in Pong Nam Ron district, Chanthaburi province.
The Thai delegation was led by Gen Nuttapong Praokaew, Deputy Chief of Staff and GBC secretary, while Cambodia’s delegation was led by Gen Tea Seiha, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence. The meeting lasted around 30 minutes.
Following the talks, the two sides signed a joint statement setting out an agreement on a ceasefire and related cooperation under the Kuala Lumpur agreement reached on October 26, 2025.
The statement also reflected a proposal accepted by Cambodia to observe a 72-hour ceasefire, starting at 12.00 PM of December 27, in return for Thailand handing over 18 Cambodian soldiers held as prisoners of war, as discussed at the secretary-level talks.
An ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) led by Brig Gen Samsul Rizal bin Musa, Malaysia’s Assistant Defence Attaché to Thailand and head of the observer mission in Thailand, monitored the meeting.
