Cambodia is set to rename its most important highway after President Trump following his role in peace negotiations with neighbouring Thailand.

The US leader has become a hero figure in the impoverished country after stepping in to broker a ceasefire in the face of alleged aggression from the Thai military last month.

Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol backed the proposal made by state journalist Soy Sopheap during an interview with American documentary maker Michael Alfaro.

The politician said: 'I think it would get a lot of support within the country, so Soy Sopheap is going to push for that, and hopefully that will be realised soon.

'The movement in the country would see a lot of support, really in the social media, but it would have to go through formalities, to get approval from the prime minister and so on and so forth.'

Cambodia's 230 km (140 mi) National Highway 4 (NH4) was built by the United States between 1959 and 1969 when the White House was gripped by the Cold War and battling for influence in the region amid a communist threat.

It stretches from the capital Phnom Penh to the deep-water port at Sihanoukville, making it the country's most important transport and trade route.

The plans come as Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet officially nominated President Donald Trump for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.

Hun Manet made the nomination in a letter sent to the Norwegian Nobel Committee on August 7, in which he praised Trump's 'extraordinary statesmanship' in helping to de-escalate the border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand.

The clashes erupted on July 24 near the disputed Ta Muen Thom temple, leading to shelling which killed 11 civilians in Thailand.

Thai military chiefs retaliated with F-16 air raids on Cambodian military positions and a historic UNESCO site.

Fighting continued, leading to the deaths of dozens of civilians and soldiers on both sides. Hundreds of thousands of people living in the area have been displaced.