BANGKOK: Prelimi­na­­ry talks between Thailand and Cambodia defence officials started on Mon­day in Malaysia ahead of a key ministerial level mee­ting on Thursday, as a fra­gile truce continues to hold a week after the two sides agreed on a ceasefire.

The ceasefire, which came after five days of border clashes between Cambodia and Thailand, was reached at a meeting in Malaysia last Monday, with help from the United States and China also observing.

The worst fighting bet­ween the Southeast Asian neighbours in over a decade included exchanges of artillery fire and jet fig­h­ter sorties, claiming at lea­st 43 lives and leaving over 300,000 people displaced on both sides of the border.

The ministers of defen­­ce of both countries are due to hold a meeting of the General Border Com­mit­tee to discuss how to maintain the ceasefire, authorities on both sides said.

The Thursday meeting will be observed by representatives from the United States, China and Mala­ysia.

Mistrust between the two neighbours has lingered despite the ongoing talks, with the Cambodia defence ministry accusing Thailand in a statement of violating the ceasefire ag­­reement by using excavators and laying barbed wire in a contested border area.

Thailand said both sid­es are maintaining their position without any significant movements.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2025