Surin school holds emergency bunker drill as border tensions near Prasat Ta Muen Thom escalate

A school in Phanom Dong Rak district, Surin, located close to the tense border zone near Prasat Ta Muen Thom, has conducted a strict evacuation drill to prepare students for any escalation along the Thai-Cambodian frontier.

During the exercise, a warning signal was sounded, prompting students to run immediately into underground bunkers. Once inside, pupils were instructed to sit with their heads lowered and their hands covering their ears, following safety procedures designed to reduce the risk of injury from loud blasts or heavy weapon fire.

When the all-clear is given, students must wait inside the bunker until their parents arrive to take them home. The school said it aims to minimise the amount of time children spend inside but stressed the importance of readiness given the heightened risks along the border.

Parents in the area have expressed deep concern and urged the government to take decisive action to resolve the ongoing tensions, saying local communities have been living under prolonged stress and uncertainty.