Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery fire for a second day on Friday as border fighting intensified and spread, while Cambodia's leader said Thailand had agreed to a Malaysian ceasefire proposal but then backed down.

BANGKOK: Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has denied that personal conflicts led to the Thai-Cambodian war, stressing that non-interference and supporting military efforts were taken to resolve the crisis.

Of course, trouble at the 508-mile (817 km) shared border is nothing new. For over a century, Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points in the thick jungle punctuated with culturally-significant temples albeit with scant strategic or economic value.

The deadly conflict on the Thai-Cambodian border pits a longtime United States ally with decades of experience against a relatively young armed force with close ties to China.

BANGKOK: Thailand said its navy joined the army in repelling Cambodian attacks on a new frontier in their disputed border, as the death toll from the escalating conflict climbed to at least 30.

"The U.S. already flunked the test and that should be a wakeup call," a former senior U.S. State Department official told Newsweek.

Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai on Friday blamed Cambodia for initiating the latest armed conflict by using "military force first," while imposing martial law in border provinces.

Bangkok says it will consider the proposal which has been put forward by Malaysia, but says any deal must be based on "appropriate on-the-ground conditions".