Thai PM Anutin Ignites Crisis: ‘No Longer Care About Trump’s Tariffs’ as Truce Teeters

Bangkok – Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul dropped a diplomatic bombshell today, declaring that Bangkok “no longer cares” about U.S. tariff threats and threatening to “rip apart” the ceasefire with Cambodia—a move that delivers a stinging rebuke to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ASEAN chairmanship.

In a fiery address to parliament, Anutin accused the Kuala Lumpur peace accord of undermining Thai sovereignty, particularly over disputed rare earth deposits along the border. “We’ve bent over backward for American photo-ops while our soldiers bleed,” he said, referencing the October signing ceremony witnessed by U.S. President Donald Trump, who hailed it as his “sixth war ended.” The deal, brokered under Anwar’s mediation, tied ceasefire commitments to U.S. trade incentives, including lower tariffs in exchange for mineral access—a provision Anutin now deems “predatory.”

The announcement follows a deadly November 12 clash that killed a Cambodian villager and wounded three others, with mutual finger-pointing escalating fears of renewed hostilities. Thailand has already suspended implementation of the truce, notifying Washington and Kuala Lumpur. Anutin’s defiance marks a sharp pivot from earlier compliance, driven by domestic outrage over perceived losses in the U.S.-China trade war proxy.

Anwar responded swiftly via phone calls to Anutin and Cambodian PM Hun Manet, securing verbal reaffirmations of commitment but little else. “Malaysia remains a neutral facilitator; the path to peace is through dialogue, not destruction,” he posted on social media. Experts fear this could cascade into broader ASEAN fractures, with Thailand’s halt exposing the fragility of Anwar’s high-stakes diplomacy.