Thai man mourns wife and children killed in shelling near Cambodia border
SISAKET, Thailand, - When the Thai and Cambodian armies began shelling at their contested border on Thursday, Komsan Prachan thought his family was far enough away from the fighting to be safe.
The farm worker received a phone call from his children's school asking parents to collect their kids, so he and his wife went and picked up their 14-year-old daughter, 9-year-old son, and their son's friend.
On the way home, they stopped at a gas station about 3 km from their house.
Moments later, an artillery shell slammed into the station, destroying the attached 7-Eleven convenience store where Komsan's family and the friend had gone to buy snacks.
"All I was thinking then was, my wife and kids," the 40-year-old told Reuters at a relative's home in Sisaket province.
"I lost all hope. I could only stand and watch."
More than 30 people, mostly civilians, have been killed on both sides of the border since the fighting started on Thursday, in what has become the worst escalation between the two Southeast Asian nations in more than a decade. Both sides have accused each other of starting the conflict.
Komsan could hear explosions from early on Thursday morning, but he did not think he needed to evacuate because his house was not in a danger zone.
"I didn't think it would hit this area. There was no bunker around that area as it was considered a safe zone."
Komsan and his wife met in high school. They married after working together for several years in Bangkok, and raised their two children.
"Having them in my life was the greatest blessing," he said.
More than 130,000 people have been displaced by the fighting, with schools forced to close their doors. Local university campuses are being used as temporary shelters for those forced to flee their homes.
"The war is good for no one. They should both talk to each other peacefully. The war only brings loss, loss, and loss," said Komsan.
The bereaved husband and father accused the Cambodian government of indiscriminately firing into civilian areas.
"This is not just war, this is murder."
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
19 minutes ago
- India Today
US assisting in Cambodia-Thailand talks, conflict needs to end: Marco Rubio
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said American officials are in Malaysia to help mediate talks between Cambodia and Thailand, in order to bring an end to the conflict between the two neighbouring countries."Cambodia and Thailand are scheduled to begin high-level talks in Malaysia shortly in hopes of achieving an immediate ceasefire. State Department officials are on the ground in Malaysia to assist these peace efforts," Rubio said in a statement released on also confirmed that both he and President Donald Trump are closely involved in monitoring the situation. "Both President Donald Trump and I remain engaged with our respective counterparts for each country and are monitoring the situation very closely. We want this conflict to end as soon as possible," he added. WHY THE TALKS MATTER The meeting comes as tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have escalated. Both countries have blamed each other for launching artillery attacks across disputed border areas. Talks in Malaysia mark the first major diplomatic effort to ease the violence that escalated over the past few conflict intensified in late May when a Cambodian soldier was killed during a brief skirmish. Troops on both sides of the border were reinforced amid a full-blown diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand's fragile coalition government to the brink of resumed last Thursday and quickly turned into the worst military clash between the two Southeast Asian neighbours in over ten far, more than 30 people have died in the clashes, including 13 civilians in Thailand and 8 in Cambodia. Officials said over 200,000 people have been forced to flee from border regions to avoid the THREATENS TO HALT TRADE DEALSUS President Trump said on Sunday that both Cambodia and Thailand had agreed to begin negotiations after he warned their leaders that continuing the conflict could hurt future US trade deals. However, Cambodia and Thailand each said the other had launched artillery attacks across contested border areas early on revealed that he personally spoke with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham said he made it clear that ongoing violence would jeopardize trade agreements with the US. "I told both leaders that if the fighting doesn't stop, we will not move forward with any trade deals. We believe both sides want peace, and we're doing everything we can to support that," Trump said in a Truth Social of Monday, the Cambodian and Thai leaders are scheduled to meet face-to-face in Kuala Lumpur for direct talks. The acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai will lead the negotiating team, the Thai government said in a statement. Talks are scheduled to begin at 3 pm local time (0700 GMT).- EndsWith inputs from ReutersTune InMust Watch
Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
Thailand, Cambodia to hold peace talks in Malaysia today amid escalating border tensions
Leaders from Thailand and Cambodia are set to meet in Malaysia on Monday in an effort to defuse the deadly border conflict , even as both countries continue to accuse each other of renewed artillery strikes in contested territories, Al Jazeera reported. According to Al Jazeera, citing Malaysian authorities, Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai will head Bangkok's delegation for the negotiations, with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet expected to participate in the meeting. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Technology Finance healthcare MCA Management Public Policy Data Science MBA Cybersecurity Project Management PGDM Artificial Intelligence Data Analytics Healthcare Digital Marketing Design Thinking Degree Product Management Data Science Others Operations Management others Leadership CXO Skills you'll gain: Duration: 12 Weeks MIT xPRO CERT-MIT XPRO Building AI Prod India Starts on undefined Get Details Malaysia, currently chairing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN ), has offered to mediate the crisis, which has claimed over 30 lives in recent days, including civilians from both countries. The situation worsened after both sides exchanged artillery fire along disputed sections of their 817 km shared border, Al Jazeera reported. Last week, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim proposed a ceasefire and urged both nations to resolve their issues diplomatically. Despite initial signs of progress following US President Donald Trump's calls to both leaders urging a ceasefire, hostilities resumed just hours later. Live Events Cambodia confirmed its support for Trump's appeal, while Thailand stated that peace talks could not proceed as long as Cambodian forces were allegedly targeting Thai civilians, a claim Phnom Penh rejected. Cambodia's Ministry of National Defence accused Thailand of launching artillery and ground attacks near several border locations, including historic temple sites, as reported by Al Jazeera. A ministry spokesperson reported damage to ancient temple complexes due to shelling. The Thai military countered by alleging that Cambodian troops had fired into residential areas and were preparing long-range rocket launchers for further attacks. The long-standing border dispute primarily revolves around sovereignty claims over historic sites, particularly the ancient Hindu temples of Ta Moan Thom and Preah Vihear, as per Al Jazeera. Although the International Court of Justice in 1962 ruled that Preah Vihear belongs to Cambodia, tensions flared again in 2008 when Cambodia sought UNESCO World Heritage status for the temple, leading to years of sporadic clashes. With tensions still high, Monday's talks in Kuala Lumpur are seen as a crucial step toward preventing further escalation.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
Trump calls Thailand-Cambodia truce easy, cites role in India-Pak talks
Following a major fallout after his attempted use of the trade leverage in reaching a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, US President Donald Trump on Sunday (local time) stated that he was optimistic about brokering the peace deal between the Southeast Asian nations, describing the talks as "an easy one," compared to his past claims of resolving the India-Pakistan conflict. Speaking to reporters during his meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Trump reiterated his commitment to using economic pressure to end the ongoing border war between the two Southeast Asian nations. "We're dealing with Thailand, and we do a lot of trade with Thailand and with Cambodia, and yet I'm reading that they're killing each other. You know, they're fighting. They're in a war. And I say this should be an easy one for me because I've settled with India and Pakistan and Serbia and Kosovo were going at it," Trump said. As per Al Jazeera, Cambodia and Thailand, earlier in the day, accused each other of launching artillery attacks, just hours after Trump said both countries had agreed to hash out a ceasefire. The attacks on Sunday came after both sides said they were willing to start talks to end the fighting over their border dispute after Trump spoke to their leaders late on Saturday. Bangkok and Phnom Penh are engaged in a territorial dispute dating back over a century, when colonial-era France first demarcated the border between them, CNN reported. He recounted calling the Prime Minister of Cambodia and the acting Prime Minister of Thailand, asserting, "I said we're not going to make a trade deal unless you settle the war... And I spoke to both of the Prime Ministers, and I think by the time I got off, they wanted to settle now." Trump drew confidence from his mediation efforts, particularly citing the India-Pakistan conflict, which he claimed was "really getting ready to go at it." Trump was referencing the recent India-Pakistan conflict in May, where he had claimed credit several times for brokering a ceasefire between the two nuclear nations, using trade as leverage. The conflict erupted after 26 civilians were killed in the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, after which India retaliated through precision strikes under Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). However, according to Indian officials, it was Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) who contacted their Indian counterpart to request an end to hostilities, following which the ceasefire was then agreed upon. "Getting those things settled if I can do it and if I can use trade to do that, it's my honour," he added, reflecting his belief in trade as a diplomatic tool. Four days after the worst fighting in more than a decade broke out between the Southeast Asian neighbours, the death toll stood above 30, including 13 civilians in Thailand and eight in Cambodia. Over 200,000 people have also been evacuated from border areas in the two countries, authorities said, as per Al Jazeera. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
