Surin: Moral support continues to flow to the frontline soldiers at Prasat Ta Muen Thom in Surin Province amid tight security under new agreements following the unrest two days ago. A group of volunteer musicians from Bangkok dressed in camouflage to offer support and performed a touching performance of the song ‘Hometown.’
According to Thai News Agency, although there are no large tour groups today, tourists from all over the country have been traveling to visit Prasat Ta Muen Thom in Phanom Dong Rak District, Surin Province, and have been continuously giving encouragement to the soldiers since the opening at 9:00 AM. In addition to admiring the beauty of the castle, which was built as a palace for a Khmer king thousands of years ago, another point of interest for tourists is the Thai-Cambodian border at the area of the Cassia trees. This is the entrance to the castle on the Cambodian side, which used to have a wooden fence after the clash in 2011. The fence was later removed during the government of Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra, who aimed to restore relations with Cambodia. This same area is where a Cambodian woman started shouting at the Thai soldiers, accusing them of encroaching on the border, leading to a clash two days ago.
Another popular spot for tourists to take photos is the GPS marker in front of the entrance to the Thai side of the castle. Thai soldiers do not allow Cambodian tourists to encroach beyond this marker. Officials have instructed not to take photos along the walkway before reaching the castle and not to engage in provocative actions from the other side. They emphasized that Thailand already has the advantage in terms of sovereignty over the castle.
A group of volunteer musicians from Bangkok decided to show their support for the soldiers by dressing in camouflage and performing the song ‘Hometown.’ This act of solidarity was a response to perceived provocations from the Cambodian side.
Some tourists, including the media, attempted to locate two soldiers from the 4th Infantry Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, Buriram Province, the main unit responsible for protecting the sovereignty of the Ta Muen Thom Temple area after a heated clash with Cambodian soldiers during the unrest two days ago. However, the two soldiers were not found for the second consecutive day. The commanding officer explained that this was a rotating shift to prevent stress, and reassured that the soldiers did not use excessively harsh language given the situation they were facing.