Bangkok: Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has postponed his trip to Malaysia for the ASEAN leaders’ summit following the death of the country’s former Queen Mother, Queen Sirikit, but said he intends to travel there on Sunday for the signing of a peace deal with Cambodia, to be witnessed by US President Donald Trump.

“I cancelled my trip to Malaysia today. However, regarding the peace deal between Thailand and Cambodia with the Prime Minister of Malaysia and the US President, I’ve asked them to reschedule for tomorrow morning,” Anutin told reporters in remarks broadcast on Thai television.

Queen Sirikit, the mother of King Vajiralongkorn and the wife of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, passed away on Friday at the age of 93, the royal palace confirmed. “It is a great loss to the nation,” Anutin said ahead of an emergency cabinet meeting convened Saturday morning.

Malaysia’s foreign minister had earlier announced that the peace agreement would be formally signed during the ASEAN summit, with President Trump attending the ceremony. The accord aims to end months of escalating tensions between Thailand and Cambodia that flared into the most violent border clashes in decades this July, leaving over 40 dead and displacing around 300,000 people.

The ceasefire, reportedly brokered in part by President Trump, has been fragile, with both nations accusing each other of violating the truce. The upcoming signing is expected to formalise peace and establish new mechanisms for border demilitarisation and civilian return.

The death of Queen Sirikit has cast a sombre mood across Thailand, where the royal family is revered as semi-divine and deeply entwined with national identity. Her passing has prompted widespread mourning, with portraits draped in black and gold adorning public and private spaces nationwide.

With inputs from AFP