KUALA LUMPUR/BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH – By the time regional diplomats gathered in Kuala Lumpur on Monday to search for a way out of the latest Thailand–Cambodia border crisis, the fighting on the ground had already resumed.

Within hours of Thailand’s foreign minister announcing plans for bilateral talks with Cambodia under the auspices of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Cambodian officials accused the Thai military of launching airstrikes on Cambodian territory — a charge Bangkok swiftly disputed, saying it was responding to rocket fire from across the border.

The renewed clashes, which erupted earlier this month after a short-lived truce collapsed, have now killed at least 43 people on both sides and forced more than 900,000 civilians from their homes, according to officials in Phnom Penh and Bangkok. The violence has underscored both the volatility of one of Southeast Asia’s most enduring territorial disputes and the limits of regional diplomacy under pressure.

Competing Claims of Escalation

Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense said Thai fighter jets bombed areas in Siem Reap and Preah Vihear provinces on Monday, including zones near civilian communities. Siem Reap is home to the Angkor temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the country’s most important tourism destination.

“This constitutes a serious violation of Cambodian sovereignty,” the ministry said in a statement carried by local outlets including the Phnom Penh Post and Fresh News Cambodia. The Interior Ministry added that at least one civilian — a Chinese national working for a mining company — was wounded by shelling.

Thailand’s military rejected the accusation, saying Cambodian forces had fired dozens of rockets into Thai border districts earlier in the day. In response, the Royal Thai Air Force conducted “limited and targeted strikes” against two Cambodian military positions, according to a statement cited by Thai PBS and The Bangkok Post.

Each side accused the other of attacking civilian areas and acting in self-defense, a familiar pattern in a conflict that has flared repeatedly over the past two decades.

Talks Planned, But Expectations Tempered

The exchange of fire came just hours after Thailand’s foreign minister, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, announced that the two countries had agreed to hold talks on Wednesday in Chanthaburi, a Thai province near the Cambodian border. The meeting is to take place under an existing bilateral border committee framework.

Speaking to reporters after an ASEAN foreign ministers’ consultation in Kuala Lumpur, Mr. Sihasak cautioned against expecting an immediate breakthrough.

“A ceasefire does not come with an announcement; it must come from actions,” he said, according to The Nation Thailand. Thai officials said the meeting would focus on practical steps, verification mechanisms and de-mining cooperation along contested stretches of the frontier.

Cambodia struck a more hopeful note. The Interior Ministry said Phnom Penh remained “optimistic that the Thai side will demonstrate sincerity” in implementing a ceasefire, while reaffirming its commitment to resolving disputes through dialogue and diplomacy.

ASEAN Under Pressure

The emergency meeting on Monday was convened by Malaysia, the current ASEAN chair. At its opening, Malaysia’s foreign minister, Mohamad Hasan, urged delegates to treat the crisis with urgency, warning of the broader humanitarian and economic consequences of continued escalation.

“We must consider the wider ramifications of this situation for the people we serve,” he said.

Malaysia’s prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, echoed that message last week, calling on ASEAN to press both sides to secure peace — a rare public appeal that reflected growing concern within the bloc.

A Truce That Did Not Hold

The latest violence follows the collapse of a ceasefire declared in October after five days of intense fighting in July. That agreement was announced at an ASEAN summit in Malaysia, with the involvement of the United States and China, and was publicly welcomed by President Donald Trump.

Mr. Sihasak later suggested the October declaration had been rushed to coincide with Mr. Trump’s visit. “Sometimes we really need to sit down and thrash things out so that what we agree will really hold,” he said.

Washington has said it hopes for a renewed ceasefire soon. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that the United States remained engaged, while Beijing said it hoped both sides would halt the fighting as quickly as possible.

An Old Dispute, Renewed Costs

At the heart of the conflict lies a long-running dispute over the demarcation of the two countries’ roughly 800-kilometer border, much of it drawn during the French colonial era. Several ancient temple ruins straddle or sit near the frontier, most notably around Preah Vihear, a site that has repeatedly become a flashpoint.

While the geography is well known, the human cost continues to mount. Thai authorities say entire villages along the eastern border have been evacuated, while Cambodian officials report overcrowded displacement centers in northern provinces.

As diplomats prepare for talks in Chanthaburi, few expect a swift resolution. But regional leaders and residents on both sides share a quieter hope: that dialogue, however imperfect, might succeed where artillery and air power have once again failed. (hb)