From Pailin to Phnom Penh, Thousands Celebrate Return of Cambodian Soldiers Freed From Thai Detention

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Dec. 31, 2025) — Thousands of Cambodians lined roads from Pailin through Battambang to Phnom Penh on Wednesday to cheer the return of 18 soldiers released after 155 days in Thai detention, turning the homecoming into a national show of relief and pride.

Citizens waved flags, applauded, and shed tears as the soldiers traveled from the Prum International Border Crossing in Pailin province to Battambang before continuing by military helicopter to Phnom Penh International Airport, where families reunited with them after months of separation.

The Ministry of National Defence said the release was carried out at 10 a.m. under the observation of the ASEAN Observer Team and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The soldiers had been captured during border clashes in July.

Their return followed Point 11 of the Joint Statement of the 3rd Special General Border Committee meeting between Cambodia and Thailand, signed Dec. 27, which required compliance with a 72 hour ceasefire. Officials said the release also aligned with the Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration on Peace, signed Oct. 26 by Prime Minister Hun Manet and his Thai counterpart, witnessed by U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet had pledged no soldier would be left behind. Cambodian leaders expressed gratitude to all parties involved, saying the release would help build trust and pave the way for peace and normalization of relations.