Thailand Says Border Deal With Cambodia Was Rushed Under US Pressure Ahead of Trump Visit

Thailand’s foreign minister said on Monday that an agreement reached last October to resolve deadly border clashes with Cambodia was hurriedly concluded under pressure from Washington ahead of a visit by then US President Donald Trump.

Thailand and Cambodia signed the agreement in Kuala Lumpur in October in an effort to defuse tensions and resolve their long-running border dispute. However, the deal was suspended the following month.

Referring to the circumstances surrounding the agreement, Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said he had noticed that Thailand rushed into issuing the joint statement.

“We hurried to issue the joint declaration because the United States wanted it to be signed during President Trump’s visit,” he told reporters in the Malaysian capital.

He explained that the pressure created a sense that “the sooner, the better,” but cautioned that such haste can undermine the substance of agreements.

“Sometimes we really need to sit down and discuss matters properly, so that what we agree on is truly workable and genuinely respected,” the minister added.

The comments suggest that diplomatic timing, rather than thorough consensus-building, played a significant role in the now-stalled border agreement between the two Southeast Asian neighbors.