Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will speak to US President Donald Trump about a fierce conflict with Cambodia, as heavy border clashes continue for a fifth day.
Thailand and Cambodia have been exchanging rockets and artillery at locations along their disputed 800km frontier in some of the most intense clashes since a five-day battle in July, which Trump stopped with calls to both leaders to halt their worst conflict in recent history.
Anutin would provide "just an update" of the situation when he spoke with Trump on Friday night, Thailand time, the Thai leader told reporters.
Trump is keen to intervene again to stop the fighting and salvage the truce he brokered, pledging for a third day to call the leaders of the Southeast Asian countries.
He met Anutin and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Malaysia in October, where they signed an expanded ceasefire agreement.
Trump, who has repeatedly said he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, lauded himself on Thursday as a global peacemaker and expressed confidence he would get the truce "back on track".
At the Congressional Ball, he reiterated his claim to have "solved eight wars", adding, "I think we are going to have to make a couple of phone calls on Thailand and (Cambodia), but we'll get that one back on track."
This week's clashes have killed at least 20 people, with more than 260 wounded, according to tallies by both countries, which have blamed each other for reigniting the conflict.
Cambodia's defence ministry said on Friday that Thailand had targeted civilian areas the previous day in "brutal armed attacks and aggression".
It said Thailand was shelling and firing machine guns on multiple sites early on Friday, including near ancient temples, and had sent armoured vehicles into what it called its territory.
"The heroic Cambodian forces will continue to stand strong, brave and steadfast in their ongoing fight against the aggressors," the ministry said in a statement.
Thailand's military accused Cambodia of encroachment into its territory, saying it was "compelled to exercise its right to self-defence" with the objective of ending the threat and protecting lives and sovereignty.
It is unclear if Trump will be able to secure an immediate cessation of the hostilities this time.
Thailand's army has made clear it wants to cripple Cambodia's military capability and Anutin has given the army his backing to fully implement operations he said have been planned by the armed forces.
A top adviser to Hun Manet told Reuters this week that Phnom Penh was "ready at any time" for dialogue, while Thailand has rejected mediation and said Cambodia must show sincerity before any bilateral negotiations can happen.
Thailand said on Friday its top diplomat, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, had spoken with US counterpart Marco Rubio and relayed that Bangkok was committed to peace, but expressed concern about Cambodia's "repeated and escalating patterns of attacks".
Cambodian government spokesperson Pen Bona said he was not aware a call had been scheduled between Hun Manet and Trump, "but normally, our PM is always ready to talk".
Anutin, facing a possible no-confidence motion amid turmoil in parliament over a process to amend the constitution, dissolved the house on Friday for an election expected in February, adding to uncertainty in Thailand at a time of armed conflict and prolonged economic malaise.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by the border fighting on both sides.
