Surin: Surin border still clashes heavily, Cambodia opened fire early in the morning, some bullets fell on the Thai side of the village, the radius is gradually expanding, even though US President Donald Trump proposed a ceasefire.
According to Thai News Agency, despite the ceasefire negotiations through US President Donald Trump, while there are still no bilateral negotiations between Thailand and Cambodia, early this morning at the Surin border, there was still a heavy clash, with bullets falling and causing damage to Thai people as seen.
The Thai-Cambodian border situation at Prasat Ta Kwai and Ta Muen Thom, Phanom Dong Rak District, Surin Province, began clashing since 4 a.m. Some of the bullets from the clash landed in a village in Ban Phluang Subdistrict, Prasat District, Surin Province, which appeared to encroach deeper into Thai territory, causing damage to houses and fires. Scraps of zinc, cement, and structural materials were scattered everywhere. Fortunately, the homeowners had already evacuated the area because officials had asked them to evacuate yesterday, so no one was injured or killed. At some points, the bullets landed on a Wagyu cattle farm, killing 6 cows. The cow owner said that when he woke up, he heard the sound of cannonballs from both sides and saw a BM-21 rocket hitting the cow pen, so he took cover. When the sound stopped, he rushed out to see that 6 of his cows had been killed by bullets. He felt very sorry, but he had to accept it because no one wanted this to happen and it could have been avoided.
It was also reported that the Cambodian side intentionally shot at the Ta Muen Thom temple, causing continuous damage. These actions do not respect international rules, as the targets are civilians, residential areas, businesses, and historical sites. While the news team was inspecting the damage, they heard continuous clashes of cannons.
However, villagers from other villages who came to watch the incident still insisted that they would risk staying and guarding their homes even though there were no shelters because the villages in this area were not considered a risk area by the previous assessment. What they were concerned about was the break-in by criminals who came to make the villagers’ suffering worse during the tense border situation.
The situation has caused Prasat District to close down two more temporary shelters and relocate villagers in Naeng Mut Subdistrict, Kap Choeng District, Surin Province, nearly 100 kilometers away from bullets. The government has asked for cooperation in shutting down websites that reveal the locations of shelters or vulnerable points for border civilians, to prevent the Cambodian army from using them as targets for attack.
While in Prasat District, many shops have closed to escape to safe areas. Shops that are still open, such as mobile phone shops, are asking to assess the situation first. They still believe that it is safe for now and are concerned about customers who may have problems with their mobile phones. Monk customers reported that the current situation caused 3 monks who were temporarily ordained to disrobe early this morning to take care of their families. The Prasat District Chief reported that he has been gradually publicizing and raising awareness among the public since the incident began. Important strategic targets have been closed for now. Security forces have assessed that the BM-21 missile path will not reach Prasat District. As for long-range missiles, they pose a risk not only to Surin but also to many provinces. The locals understand this well.
Later, after noon, Ms. Paethongtarn Shinawatra, Minister of Culture, visited Surin Province to visit those injured in the fighting and gave gifts to encourage the affected villagers.
Villagers along the Thai-Cambodian border hope that both sides will negotiate a ceasefire as soon as possible so that the situation can be resolved without Thailand being disadvantaged.