Sa Kaeo opens 5 shelters for 180,000 evacuees

Sa Kaeo province has opened five temporary shelters to receive people fleeing intense clashes along the Thai–Cambodian border, after evacuating more than 180,000 residents from four frontier districts.

The First Army Region’s operations centre said the Burapha Task Force was now into its second day of operations in Sa Kaeo, maintaining pressure on targets while stressing its focus on defending Thai sovereignty and protecting civilians.

Nong Ya Kaew fully secured, anti-personnel mines found

Troops from Special Task Force 12 have completed operations to reassert control over Thai sovereign territory in Ban Nong Ya Kaew, Khok Sung district, securing the area since December 8, 2025. On the morning of December 9, clearance teams moved in to check the area in detail.

Troops detected a serious threat in the form of two PMN-2 anti-personnel landmines, fully armed and ready for use.

They also discovered two improvised explosive devices, built from RPG-2 rounds, 60mm mortar shells, 82mm recoilless rifle rounds and dynamite.

All devices were safely rendered harmless by explosive ordnance disposal teams.

Heavy fighting at Nong Chan, Cambodian casino base destroyed

At Ban Nong Chan, Khok Sung district, Thai forces are still fighting to reach and secure their objectives. Cambodian troops have offered strong resistance, using multiple weapons, including BM-21 multiple rocket launchers fired into a village that previously housed Cambodian civilians.

In Ban Khlong Phaeng, Ta Phraya district, Special Task Force 11 carried out a key operation using tanks to destroy a Cambodian casino complex just across the border from the Ban Ta Phraya border trade crossing. The complex had allegedly been used as a firing position for machine guns and support weapons and as a logistics hub for military operations against Thai forces.

As of 4pm, Task Force 11 reported it had brought parts of the Khlong Phaeng area under control and had laid barbed wire along the new defensive line.

Casualties and damage

• Since December 8, five Thai personnel have been wounded, all of whom are now in a safe condition. On December 9, an additional injury was reported: Lance Corporal Kamphon Saengchansi, Border Patrol Police Company 125, suffered shrapnel wounds to the left side of his abdomen. He is in a stable condition and being treated at Khok Sung Hospital.
• Artillery and grenade rounds from the Cambodian side have also landed in civilian areas: Ban Khok Thahan, Thap Sadet subdistrict, Ta Phraya district; Ban Nong Chan, Non Mak Mun subdistrict, Khok Sung district. Several houses, power poles and roads were damaged by blasts, but no additional civilian casualties were reported on December 9.

Evacuation and shelters

Sa Kaeo province has evacuated 180,683 people, or about 83% of residents in the four border districts. Five temporary shelters have been opened in Mueang Sa Kaeo district, Khok Sung district, Wang Nam Yen district, Khao Chakan district, Watthana Nakhon district. A total of 15,560 people are currently staying in these shelters.

A key note from the province is that His Majesty the King has graciously ordered the establishment of a royal kitchen at the shelter in Mueang Sa Kaeo to prepare and distribute cooked meals to evacuees affected by the border clashes.

First Army vows to hold the line

The First Army Region, through the Burapha Task Force and all relevant agencies, said its forces remain fully prepared and in good spirits as they carry out operations to defend Thailand’s sovereignty.

The command stressed that all actions are being taken within the rules of engagement and the right of self-defence, and that operations will continue until the threat along the Sa Kaeo border is eliminated, with national security and the safety of local people as the top priorities.