Rocket Strike Claims Lives in Thailand-Cambodia Border Clash
It was Thursday morning, and Komsan Prachan’s two children would typically have been in class. Instead, their village in north-eastern Thailand was on high alert after clashes erupted along the contested border with Cambodia. Authorities suspended school and issued evacuation warnings over loudspeakers.
Komsan and his wife, Rungrat, went to collect their children—eight-year-old Pongsapak and 14-year-old Taksatorn. They stopped briefly at a petrol station in Sisaket province while heading home to gather the children’s grandparents. Rungrat and the kids went inside to buy snacks while Komsan waited in the car. A rocket struck then, killing Rungrat, Taksatorn, and Pongsapak, among eight total victims.
"My wife was my other half," said Komsan. The couple had grown up together, attended the same school, and fallen in love while working in Bangkok. "She was always caring—asking if I or anyone else was okay, if we had eaten or slept enough."
In Thailand, 20 people have died, including 13 civilians and seven soldiers. Cambodia reported 13 dead—five soldiers and eight civilians. Over 200,000 people have fled border areas in both nations.
At a temple in Sisaket’s Non Khun district, officials addressed displaced residents, urging caution and offering condolences to bereaved families. A small ceremony acknowledged compensation would be provided, though they recognized no sum could replace the loss.
Border communities endured earlier clashes in 2008 and 2011. But residents say this conflict is worse.
"This time, it just doesn’t stop," said Prasit Saopa, 52, a farmer sitting outside the temple. His family evacuated without belongings, expecting—as in past incidents—a brief displacement. On Friday, he risked returning for supplies, taking cover in a bunker amid artillery fire. His village remains untouched, but nearby rubber trees and a home 500 meters away were damaged.
Prasit wants Thai forces to drive Cambodian troops from the border. He clarified he holds no animosity toward Cambodian civilians, only criticizing the former long-ruling authoritarian leader Hun Sen, whose son now governs.
On Saturday, leaders signaled both nations would meet to address the crisis.
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