In a significant gesture aimed at easing regional tensions, Thailand has repatriated eighteen Cambodian soldiers who had been held in detention for more than five months. The move is seen as a crucial confidence-building measure following intense border fighting.
A Long-Awaited Homecoming
The group of soldiers crossed back into Cambodia at approximately 10am local time on Wednesday, 31 December 2025. Their return was facilitated through the Prum-Ban Pak Kard Permanent Border Checkpoint, which links Cambodia's Pailin province with Thailand's Chanthaburi. This crossing remains the sole operational route since hostilities erupted earlier in the year.
The men were part of a group of twenty Cambodian troops captured on 29 July in trenches within the disputed Preah Vihear province. This incident occurred merely hours after a ceasefire was signed by the prime ministers of both nations in Kuala Lumpur, following five days of fierce combat. Two of the original captives were released soon after due to severe health and psychiatric conditions.
Diplomatic Efforts Behind the Release
Thailand's foreign ministry stated the repatriation was conducted "as a demonstration of goodwill and confidence-building, as well as in adherence to international humanitarian principles." Cambodia's defence ministry welcomed the action, saying it "creates an environment conducive to peace, stability, and the full normalisation of relations for the benefit of both nations."
The soldiers' release follows a renewed ceasefire agreement brokered over the weekend with the involvement of Chinese foreign ministry officials. This latest truce halted nearly twenty days of renewed conflict that had devastating consequences:
- At least 101 people were killed.
- Over 500,000 civilians were displaced on both sides of the border.
- Fighting involved air strikes, rocket fire, and heavy artillery exchanges.
A Fragile Path to Peace
Cambodian defence ministry spokesperson, Maly Socheata, confirmed the soldiers had spent 155 days in detention. Upon their return, Battambang provincial governor Sok Lou hailed them as "heroic soldiers" during a welcome ceremony attended by officials and the public.
This development is widely viewed as a pivotal step towards stabilising the precarious ceasefire. It opens the door for further diplomatic engagement between the two Southeast Asian neighbours. The current truce comes after an earlier ceasefire, mediated by US president Donald Trump and Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, collapsed earlier in December, leading to a severe resurgence of violence along the disputed frontier.
