British content creator Kevin Smith has claimed he was fired at by Thai soldiers near O’ Smach on the Thailand-Cambodia border on 13 May 2026, while Thai authorities say warning shots were discharged after a foreign national approached a restricted area. The incident took place at around 09:00 and has drawn attention to security procedures along the frontier.
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According to a Facebook post on Kevin Smith KH, Smith said he was shot at while filming at O’ Smach, which he described as Cambodian territory. The Phnom Penh Post reported that Smith, who has lived in Cambodia for over 10 years, shared a video showing the sound of two gunshots, although he claimed four were fired in total.
He said he was approximately 20 metres from barbed wire fencing and was filming content he said highlighted inconsistencies in the situation. Smith also stated this was his second visit to the site, referencing a previous incident two weeks earlier during which he said gunfire occurred while a diplomatic delegation was present, as well as a separate claim that nine shots were fired on 29 April.
US lobbyist Michael Alfaro, an American lobbyist who was previously presented as a 'White House Correspondent' by the Cambodian press during an earlier visit to Cambodia, commented on the incident and called for restraint, warning influencers against actions that could escalate tensions in sensitive border areas. Writing on Facebook, he said “All parties must use patience and restraint in handling the Cambodia-Thailand border situation
“Currently tensions are already very high. Provocative actions, insults, inappropriate gestures, or any escalation by any side will only increase the risk of a dangerous flare-up.
“The report regarding influencer Kevin Smith KH and the gunfire at the border should serve as a reminder that words and actions have consequences, especially in such sensitive areas.
“Influencers should exercise caution, maturity, and consider diplomatic principles at this time, and also be aware that influencers are not journalists and are not protected in the same way.
“People living along the border have already suffered enough. Peace and stability must come before everything else.”
Thai Army Region 2 said that at around 09:00 on 13 May officers detected a foreign man approaching barbed wire near the O’ Smach road entrance opposite Chong Chom in Surin province. The military stated that two warning shots were fired as a standard security measure to prevent unauthorised entry and reduce the risk of misunderstanding in a sensitive border zone.
Manager Online reported that no injuries have been reported. Thai authorities say the situation was handled under established border security protocols, and monitoring is expected to continue in the O’ Smach area amid ongoing sensitivity along the frontier.
Pictures courtesy of MGR
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Adapted by ASEAN Now MGRonline 15 May 2026