Sa kaeo: The Sa Kaeo border is tense, and people are being evacuated. Highest level of urgency! The Sa Kaeo border is tense. Officials are rushing to evacuate people from the risk area after a second warning was issued. On December 8, 2025, at 9:40 a.m., the situation along the Thai-Cambodian border in Sa Kaeo Province rapidly escalated in tension after reports confirmed a border clash that resulted in the death of one Thai military officer. This led security agencies to raise the public warning level to severe and order the immediate evacuation of people in at-risk areas.
According to Thai News Agency, the Burapha Task Force and the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) have issued an emergency warning for residents in the districts of Ta Phraya, Khok Sung, Aranyaprathet, and Khlong Hat to evacuate all border areas to temporary shelters provided by the province by 10:00 a.m. today. This covers an area of over 165 square kilometers, which has been identified as a high-risk zone.
The warning clearly states that those still in their homes or communities along the border may be at risk from unpredictable events, and urges them to strictly obey orders from officials, not to hesitate or wait for confirmation, as the situation is rapidly changing.
Nong Chan and Nong Ya Kaew are as quiet as a ghost town after nearly all villagers have evacuated. In the areas of Ban Nong Chan and Nong Ya Kaew, which are closest to the border, most villagers have been leaving since early morning after officials knocked on doors and announced over loudspeakers to evacuate immediately.
The latest report indicates that at around 9:41 a.m., both villages were nearly deserted, save for officials and makeshift checkpoints along the main route. The overall atmosphere was filled with silence and anxiety as people rushed to pack their last belongings into their vehicles to leave.
Officers from various agencies, including the police, the Volunteer Defense Corps (VDV), and the Village Security Guard (VSC), have been deployed in large numbers to clear evacuation routes, organize traffic, and inspect road safety at every point before leading people onto the roads towards the temporary shelters and waiting points provided by the province.
“Don’t hesitate, leave immediately,” officials said, as the situation along the border remains unusual and high-risk. Since morning, several gas stations in Khok Sung District have been overwhelmed with people filling up their tanks as they prepare to leave the area following the highest level of warning. This has led to queues at some points that are several times longer than usual.
Several residents in the area said they decided to pack only essentials, such as important documents, clothing, cash and medicine, before heading to the nearest safety centre in pickup trucks, sedans and motorcycles, without waiting for the situation to escalate.
A report from the Eastern Task Force indicates that movement along the border remains unstable. Officers must remain stationed at all observation points and closely monitor the situation 24 hours a day to ensure public safety and prevent ongoing evacuations.