Hun Manet says Thai forces remain inside Cambodian territory after ceasefire
Event date: 2026-02-18. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet says Thai forces are still occupying parts of Cambodian territory after a series of ceasefire agreements, renewing friction along a border that has already been scarred by deadly fighting.
Al Jazeera reports that Hun Manet told Reuters Thailand was still occupying “deep” inside Cambodian territory in several areas, and that the situation went beyond even Thailand’s own unilateral claim. He said Thai troops had placed shipping containers and barbed wire in areas Cambodia had previously recognised as its own.
The significance of that claim is practical as well as political. Hun Manet said about 80,000 people had been unable to return home because of the alleged encroachment. If accurate, that would make the dispute not just a line on a map but a displacement problem affecting ordinary families.
Thailand has not immediately responded, according to the report. That absence matters because the story currently rests on Cambodia’s account, although the article says Thai military officials have previously claimed their operations were confined to reclaiming Thai territory.
The border dispute is not new. The report says the protracted conflict last year killed dozens and displaced hundreds of thousands of people, while also fuelling nationalist rhetoric and damaging ancient temple sites. That history explains why even a limited border movement can become a major bilateral issue.
Hun Manet also called on Thailand to resume border demarcation through the Joint Boundary Commission, which had lagged before Thailand’s national election. He suggested the process could restart now that the election is over, at least on a technical level.
The interview also touched on wider diplomacy. Hun Manet said US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace could help de-escalate the situation and called it a valuable addition to existing international mechanisms. He also said Cambodia’s ties with the US and China were not mutually exclusive.
Those comments show Cambodia is trying to internationalise support without giving up its broader balancing act between major powers. At the same time, the border problem remains immediate and local, affecting villagers and military positions rather than abstract diplomacy.
The report’s mention of shipping containers and barbed wire is especially important because it is concrete. It suggests the conflict is being shaped by physical barriers on the ground, not just diplomatic language.
For now, the dispute remains unresolved. Cambodia is pressing for demarcation, Thailand has not answered in the report, and the ceasefire has not produced a durable settlement.
