Heartbreak as locals find homes bombed
Police and military Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units clear the Taku border zone after villagers found unexploded artillery shells in their rubber plantations. SURACHAI PIRAGSA
Authorities are intensifying operations to remove unexploded artillery shells and other munitions after weeks of cross-border fire from Cambodian forces left civilian areas littered with dangerous ordnance.
Police and military Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units across Si Sa Ket, Surin and Buri Ram have been deployed as evacuated residents begin returning to their homes and farmland.
In Si Sa Ket’s Kantharalak district, police EOD officers visited a cassava plantation in Ban Phonthip yesterday afternoon after villagers discovered artillery shells embedded in the soil.
More than 200 shells have been found scattered around villages, farms, rubber plantations and cassava fields.
Pol Lt Col Prawit Sutthawong, who leads the provincial EOD unit, said the munitions — 105mm artillery rounds — could not be safely moved so had to be destroyed on site. Residents took shelter behind designated barriers.
He said 13 shells have been destroyed so far, with some 200 unexploded rounds still scattered across the wider area. He warned villagers not to touch the objects.
Provincial governor Anurat Thammaprajamjit said teams are now securing tambon Sao Thongchai to make the area safe enough for residents to return permanently.
Financial assistance has also begun, with households evacuated for more than eight days receiving 5,000 baht each under an emergency relief scheme.
Initial surveys show 10 homes were destroyed and 49 partially damaged. Local authorities will oversee repair work, while the province will handle cases involving severe destruction.
In neighbouring Surin province, EOD police from Border Patrol Police Company 21 were sent to Ban Nong Khanna in Phanom Dong Rak district, where modified warheads and PG-7 anti-tank rockets were found at three locations.
Officers secured the area and destroyed the devices without injury or damage, said Taenchon Chumkasian, acting chief of Phanom Dong Rak district office.
In Buri Ram, officials were mobilised to clear the Taku border zone in Ban Kruat district after villagers reported craters and unexploded artillery shells in rubber and eucalyptus plantations.
Pol Col Jetsarit Paengsrisan, deputy commander of provincial police, said more than 30 blast sites were identified, with three shells still intact.
These have been cordoned off temporarily because of their proximity to the Cambodian frontier. All shrapnel and shell remnants are being documented as evidence.
Meanwhile, border communities are slowly resuming daily life.
Chong Chom market in Surin has seen a tentative return of traders and shoppers after several days of ceasefire, though many remain wary. Local vendors said business has improved slightly during the New Year holidays, but distrust of Cambodian intentions remains high, with fears of renewed fighting.
Community patrols in tambon Dan also discovered another BM-21 rocket impact site in a cassava field. The warhead had detonated, marking the tenth such strike in the area. Authorities have urged residents to check their farmland and report any unusual debris.
In Sa Kaeo’s Ban Nong Chan — one of the worst-affected villages — evacuees began returning after 24 days in temporary shelters.
Many homes were destroyed by BM-21 rockets, leaving families devastated. Some residents remain too fearful to re-enter their properties until EOD teams complete thorough inspections.
One villager, Usanee, 53, stood before the ruins of her demolished home, saying she had spent her entire life savings building it.
“I have no way to rebuild. Why would they fire at civilians who have nothing to do with the conflict?” she said.
Shops and small stores that survived the blasts have reopened, and villagers say they are determined to get their lives back to normal, even as recovery and mine-clearing efforts continue.