Thai - Cambodia Conflict Villagers & Teachers Weep as Tributes Laid at Petrol Station

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Khaosod.

 

Grieving locals and teachers gathered in tears to lay flowers outside a convenience store at a PTT petrol station in Kantharalak District on 1 August, marking a site where a BM-21 rocket strike recently claimed the lives of innocent civilians.

 

The tragic event has left the community in deep mourning. The attack came as a shock to residents, as the site of the strike lies well beyond what many had assumed was the safe zone. One local said, tearfully, “The petrol station is quite far from the border, we never imagined rockets would reach this deep into the community.”

 

At the refugee centre in Si Sa Ket, now housing hundreds displaced by the violence, local officials held a traditional Bai Sri Su Kwan blessing ceremony led by Brahmin priests to lift the spirits of evacuees. The ritual, rooted in ancient Isaan tradition, included the tying of white threads around the wrists of children and elders alike as village elders recited blessings, urging peace and better days ahead.

 

 

The ceremony marked the 10th day since evacuations began along the Thai-Cambodian border, where instability and sporadic conflict have driven families from their homes. Smiles and quiet sobs filled the air as villagers embraced, some unable to hold back tears.

 

Throughout the day, mourners visited the PTT petrol station’s forecourt, placing flowers at the convenience store entrance – now a makeshift memorial. One woman, clutching a small bouquet of ixora flowers from her garden, said she had come “with all my heart” to bid farewell to those lost, particularly a female store worker and a child who died in the blast. “The mother was found holding her child,” she said, her voice breaking. “I have children too. I can’t bear to imagine it. I came to pray their spirits find peace.”

 

A co-worker of the deceased store employee sobbed uncontrollably as she described the loss. “We worked side by side. She was kind and always smiling. No one deserved this. We’re pleading for justice. We hope our leaders see what has happened and act. This cannot end here.”

 

Captain Santi Mongkolkaew, a civil affairs officer from the 23rd Ranger Regiment, was among the first to reach the scene on the day of the attack. “When I heard the explosion, I rushed there immediately. Flames were engulfing the store. We didn’t know if another strike was coming, we just acted to save lives,” he said.

 

Now, 10 days on, he says the memory remains vivid. “I never thought civilians would become targets in this conflict. The people had no warning. Our duty now is to protect and support them in any way we can.”

 

Related article:

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1367711-cambodian-bm-21-rocket-strike-hits-petrol-station-injures-dozens-including-students/

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Khoasod 2025-08-03