Malaysia’s PM Brokers US Reassurance on Thailand-Cambodia Border Mine Issue

Brickinfo News Agency – Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul publicly disclosed on his personal Facebook page that Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the current Chair of ASEAN, intervened to seek clarification from the United States regarding the ongoing border mine issue between Thailand and Cambodia. Following a recent incident where a Thai soldier stepped on a new landmine, Mr. Anwar reportedly called Mr. Anutin late on November 15, 2025, to confirm a discussion he had held with US President Donald Trump. The key takeaway was a direct assurance from President Trump that the US would not link the border dispute or any suspension of the joint Thai-Cambodia declaration to the ongoing US-Thailand trade tariff negotiations.

The conversation between the ASEAN Chair and the Thai Prime Minister revolved around the critical issue of humanitarian demining along the border, which both Thailand and Cambodia had previously committed to in a joint declaration. Mr. Anutin stated that President Trump shared his view that demining is a crucial element of the declaration, and the US President had urged the Thai government to accelerate mine clearance efforts due to the extreme danger posed to the lives of people on both sides of the border.

The most significant piece of information relayed to the Thai government was President Trump’s definitive stance on the trade negotiations. According to Mr. Anutin’s post, Prime Minister Anwar confirmed that President Trump specifically instructed him to relay the following message:

“The United States will not let the issue of suspending Thailand’s declaration be involved in the trade tariff negotiations between Thailand and the United States that are currently underway.”

Mr. Anutin further confirmed he received permission to share this sensitive information. When he asked Prime Minister Anwar if he could post the message, the ASEAN Chair responded, “Post it, Anutin, and I will also post a confirmation through my communication channels.”

Addressing a conflicting report, Mr. Anutin clarified that a letter from the US Trade Representative, which had mentioned suspending negotiations with Thailand, was drafted before his telephone conversation with President Trump on the evening of Friday, November 14. Therefore, the information he received via the latest call from PM Anwar is the most up-to-date and definitive. This reassures the public regarding the potential impact of the border dispute on Thai-US economic relations.