Cambodia has indicated it is prepared to enter immediate bilateral talks with Thailand to end renewed fighting along their disputed border, as hostilities spread and civilian casualties mounted for a second consecutive day the Reuters news agency has said.

Artillery duels and exchanges of small-arms fire were reported across wide sections of the 817km frontier, following the collapse of a ceasefire agreed earlier in the year. The fighting has marked the most serious escalation between the two South-east Asian neighbours since mid-year, raising regional security concerns and prompting diplomatic engagement from external powers.

At least 13 people have been killed in the latest round of violence, while hundreds of thousands of civilians have been displaced on both sides of the border, according to regional officials and humanitarian workers. Temporary shelters have been established in border provinces as local authorities attempt to manage large-scale evacuations.

According to Reuters, senior officials in Phnom Penh have conveyed that Cambodia is ready to begin talks without delay, but have made clear that any negotiations would require reciprocal political will from both sides. The Cambodian position has been framed as a preference for dialogue, while insisting that the initiative must be mutually agreed rather than unilaterally triggered.

Bangkok, however, has adopted a more cautious stance. Thailand’s leadership has said that Cambodia must demonstrate concrete intent to de-escalate before formal talks can proceed, and has ruled out the involvement of third-party mediators at this stage.

Tensions have been built on a fragile diplomatic foundation. A previous truce was brokered in July with the involvement of former US president Donald Trump and Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, and later extended under an agreement signed in October. That arrangement unravelled in recent weeks amid mutual accusations of violations.

Washington has expressed growing concern over the renewed fighting, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging an immediate halt to hostilities and greater protection for civilians. Despite this, both sides have continued military operations.

Thailand has accused Cambodia of laying new landmines along the frontier and withdrew from key elements of the ceasefire framework following an explosion that seriously injured a Thai soldier. Cambodia has rejected responsibility and maintained that it remains committed to the October agreement. Independent technical assessments have suggested that some mines discovered in the area may have been recently deployed, adding complexity to already strained relations.

Thailand’s armed forces, which significantly outmatch Cambodia’s in scale and equipment, have reportedly shifted towards a strategy aimed at degrading Cambodian military capabilities. The Thai government has publicly backed its military’s actions and indicated that it does not view negotiations as viable while active fighting continues.

Cambodian officials meanwhile have characterised the conflict as damaging to both sides, arguing that prolonged confrontation is unsustainable for two countries that share deep geographic and economic ties, and that a negotiated settlement remains the only realistic path to stability.