Local residents near the border are offloading their livestock due to apprehensions of evacuation.

Updated Border Tension Situation

Border residents in Buri Ram's northeastern region are offloading their livestock due to mounting concerns over border skirmishes between Thai and Cambodian troops. They're keeping their fingers crossed for a truce at the Joint Border Commission (JBC) meeting slated for this weekend.

Our reporters visited Ban Sai To 11, in Sai Taku tambon of Ban Kruat district, approximately three kilometers from the frontier. Villagers shared their fears, which were rekindled by the recent Chong Bok clash in Nam Yuen district of Ubon Ratchathani. This skirmish echoed the 2011 hostilities, when a barrage of stray bullets hit their area, stirring echoes of a potential repeat.

Local families are hurriedly selling their cattle and water buffaloes at bargain basement prices of 6,000 to 8,000 baht, fearing an abrupt evacuation that would leave their livestock stranded. Typical market rates fluctuate between 10,000 and 20,000 baht, highlighting the urgency and desperation of the villagers.

Elderly villagers, with children working across provinces, have constructed personal underground shelters in preparation for any escalating hostilities.

Although recent cross-border confrontations have raised tensions, both governments are working to minimize further escalation. Prime Ministers Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Hun Manet have had direct talks to calm the situation, with neither advocating for the conflict to persist[5]. Military commanders from both sides have also held discussions, agreeing on measures to resolve the crisis through diplomatic channels and maintain a peaceful demeanor along the contested border[5].

However, tensions persist, and the JBC meeting in Phnom Penh underscored unresolved disputes. Cambodia suggested taking the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), but Thailand favors addressing the issue in-house[4]. The JBC called for further delimitation and demarcation of the border, raising concerns for the volatile situation.

Border residents are currently bearing the brunt of the hostilities, with reduced cross-border trade and strict operating hours at land border crossings limiting movement[2][3]. Living in the shadow of potential conflict, villagers find their daily lives and economic activities greatly impacted.

War-and-conflicts, general-news, and politics loom over the border residents, as the ongoing skirmishes between Thai and Cambodian troops have escalated tensions, necessitating urgent diplomatic intervention from both governments. Despite recent talks by Prime Ministers Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Hun Manet to de-escalate the situation, the Joint Border Commission's meeting in Phnom Penh highlighted unresolved disputes, emphasizing the need for continued diplomacy to maintain peace along the contested border.

Local residents near the border are offloading their livestock due to apprehensions of evacuation.