Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Fighting on the Thai-Cambodian border has forced thousands of Thai villagers to flee their homes near the border since Monday. Save for the distant rumble of gunfire in the fields, their once bustling communities have gone largely silent.
Yet in many of these villages, which typically house a few hundred people, a few dozen residents have chosen to stay behind despite the constant cries of danger.
In a village in Buriram province about 6 miles (10 kilometers) from the border, Somjai Kraiprakon and about 20 of his neighbors gathered around a house on the side of the road, keeping an eye on nearby houses. Deployed by the local administration as village security volunteers, they guarded vacant homes after many residents were forced to flee and fewer security officers than usual were deployed nearby.
Latest large-scale fighting derails ceasefire brokered by US President donald trumpThat led to five days of clashes in July over long-standing territorial disputes. Till Saturday, about two dozen people were reported killed in the renewed violence.
In a house on the main square of the village, now a meeting place, kitchen and sleeping area, explosions were a regular background, with the constant threat of stray ammunition falling nearby. Somjai rarely hesitated, but when explosions came too close, she would run into a makeshift bunker next to the house, built from large precast concrete drainage pipes reinforced with dirt, sandbags and car tires on an empty plot of land.
He volunteered immediately after the July fighting. The 52-year-old completed a three-day training course with the district administration that included gun training and patrolling techniques before being appointed in November. Volunteer village guards are allowed to carry firearms provided by the concerned authorities.
The army has stressed the importance of volunteers like Somjai in this new phase of the fight, saying they “help provide the highest possible confidence and security to the public.”
According to the Army, volunteers “carry out patrols, set up checkpoints, stand guard inside villages, protect local people’s property, and monitor suspicious persons who may attempt to infiltrate the area to gather intelligence.”
Somjai said the volunteer team performs all these duties, keeping a close eye on strangers and patrolling at night to prevent thieves from entering abandoned homes. However, his main responsibility is not to watch for threats but to care for the approximately 70 dogs left in the community.
“That’s my priority. Other things I let the men take care of. I’m not good at patrolling at night. Luckily I’m good with dogs,” she said, adding that she fed a few people with her own money at first, but as donations started coming in, she was able to expand her feeding efforts.
In a nearby village, chief Praden Prajuabsuk sat on the roadside in front of a local school with about a dozen members of his village security team. Around there, most of the shops were already closed and a few cars could be seen passing by now and then.
Dressed in navy blue uniforms and striped purple and blue scarves, men and women chatted casually while holding shotguns close and observing strangers. Praden said the team remained deployed at various locations during the day, then resumed patrolling as night fell.
He said his guard duty is around the clock, receives no compensation and depends entirely on volunteers. “We do it of our own free will, for the brothers and sisters of our village,” he said.
Apart from guarding vacant houses, like Somjai, Praden’s team also makes sure to feed pets, cattle and other animals. During the day, some members ride motorcycles from door to door to feed pigs, chickens and dogs abandoned by their owners.
Although his village is close to the battlefield, Preden said he is not afraid of the sounds of battle.
“We are here because we want to,” he said. “We want our people to be safe… We are willing to protect the village for those who have evacuated.”