Tens of thousands of residents in four northeastern border provinces have become displaced persons after being evacuated to shelters due to ongoing cross-border shelling by Cambodian forces along the Thai-Cambodian border.
Interior Ministry Permanent Secretary Arsom Saphanrat revealed yesterday that residents from Ubon Ratchathani, Si Sa Ket, Surin, and Buri Ram provinces have been relocated to 295 temporary shelters since the clashes began.
He said the random shelling by Cambodian forces has violated Thai sovereignty and caused casualties and property damage.
The evacuation was carried out under the emergency response plan, with authorities tasked with prioritising the safety of evacuees and ensuring the provision of basic needs such as food, drinking water, medicine, sanitation, and proper shelter.
As of 10:30 p.m. yesterday, Arsom reported a total of 100,672 evacuees across the following provinces:
Surin: 56,000 evacuees at 67 shelters
Si Sa Ket: 17,196 evacuees at 58 shelters
Buri Ram: 17,000 evacuees at 1 shelter
Ubon Ratchathani: 10,476 evacuees at 169 shelters
Residents have been clearly instructed not to return to their homes until official clearance is given.
Free Wi-Fi access has been provided at all temporary shelters.
In response to the crisis, the Energy Ministry has established an Emergency Energy Operations Center to monitor developments, coordinate with relevant agencies, and prepare for potential energy disruptions caused by Cambodian actions.
Fuel stations near the conflict zones have been prepared to temporarily suspend operations for safety reasons in case of emergency, while those in nearby non-risk areas remain open to serve emergency vehicles such as ambulances, fire trucks, and security forces.
The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) and the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) have been ordered to deploy maintenance teams to ensure quick repairs in the event of damage to the power grid.
