Thailand has resisted US tariff pressure aimed at enforcing peace with Cambodia, as border clashes reignited this week, ending the Trump-backed ceasefire from July. At that time, a call from then-US President Donald Trump and the threat of “crushing tariffs” had helped halt five days of intense fighting.

“Bangkok's resistance is a test for Trump's tariff play, but the tariff has always been a blunt instrument,” said Chong Ja Ian, political science professor at the National University of Singapore. “Whether it can get a lasting ceasefire over longstanding and deep-seated animosities has been and is doubtful.”

Trump, in his quest for a Nobel Peace Prize, has attempted to mediate in several conflicts in recent months using tariffs as leverage, with mixed results, while also alienating some

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