Cambodia and Thailand's top defence officials agreed on Thursday to allow observers from the ASEAN regional bloc to inspect disputed border areas and help ensure hostilities do not resume following a violent five-day conflict that ended in a ceasefire late in July.

Cambodia and Thailand agreed to uphold a ceasefire, more than one week after a US-backed truce ended the deadliest clashes between the Southeast Asian neighbors in recent history.

Ceasefire is not merely a pause but a promise to protect lives, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail says.