Photo courtesy of Thai Newsroom

 

In a troubling situation along the Thai-Cambodian border, five Thai soldiers have lost a leg each after stepping on landmines between 16th July and today, 14th August. Amidst calls for urgent action, former Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi has launched an unconventional campaign aimed at addressing these tragic incidents.

 

Plodprasop, formerly the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, announced his plan on Facebook, urging the public to support his initiative. This includes purchasing PMN-2 anti-personnel landmines from Cambodian soldiers for 10,000 baht (approximately 280 USD) each, with authorised delivery at any border checkpoint. His goal is to reduce the risk to Thai soldiers by removing these deadly devices from the border area.

 

In addition to this, Plodprasop is promoting various activities to foster patriotism among Thais:

 

• Displaying Thai flags and stickers on vehicles.
• Wearing Thai flag buttonhole pins, which he is seeking to purchase in large quantities due to their rarity.
• Hosting a contest for composing a patriotic song about Thai-Cambodian history, with a prize of 10,000 baht available. He is rallying support from former students of notable schools and universities to contribute further should the prize prove inadequate.

 

Plodprasop emphasises that the campaign is no joke, underlining his serious commitment to the cause.

 

Parallelly, Dr. Samart Ratchapolsit has also taken to social media, highlighting the profound impact on the injured soldiers. In a heartfelt post, he expressed concern over the soldiers' lost dreams and altered futures, stressing the need for “understanding” and “responsibility” from officials, rather than mere condolences.

 

Dr. Samart urged authorities to act swiftly and decisively to prevent further incidents and ensure comprehensive care for the affected soldiers. His call to action reinforces the sentiment that supportive measures must go beyond words to effect real change.

 

The situation has heightened awareness of the longstanding volatility along the Thai-Cambodian border and the devastating human cost of landmines. It underscores the urgent need for dialogue and cooperative efforts between governments to de-mine these areas and safeguard military and civilian lives.

 

The public’s engagement in these initiatives will be crucial in providing immediate relief and fostering a broader movement towards sustainable solutions. Both leaders' appeals highlight the need for unified national efforts to address and resolve these pressing safety concerns at the borders.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Thai Newsroom 2025-08-14

 

Oh dear   🥱

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

This includes purchasing PMN-2 anti-personnel landmines from Cambodian soldiers for 10,000 baht (approximately 280 USD) each, with authorised delivery at any border checkpoint. His goal is to reduce the risk to Thai soldiers by removing these deadly devices from the border area.

He is an absolute idiot

"Plodprasop emphasises that the campaign is no joke, underlining his serious commitment to the cause".

If that's not a joke, what is?

The landmines are not on Thai soil. If soldiers are struck, they are encroaching onto Khmer land. Secondly, the landmines were dropped by the US in the 1960s and 70s during their bombing campaigns across Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Guess who fought alongside the US in Vietnam? Who was paid vast sums for them to have military bases around the country to aid the aerial offensives? Yes, Thailand. I believe that is what the Thais call karma. 

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

 

 

Plodprasop, formerly the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, announced his plan on Facebook, urging the public to support his initiative. This includes purchasing PMN-2 anti-personnel landmines from Cambodian soldiers for 10,000 baht (approximately 280 USD) each, with authorised delivery at any border checkpoint. His goal is to reduce the risk to Thai soldiers by removing these deadly devices from the border area.

now i have real doubt that the mines are on thaisoil. 

 

From Aesop's fables, to the fabled Plodprasop.

 

I think I'll pass, thanks all the same...

Plodprasop was Science Minister under Yingluck, and as such, during the Bangkok Floods in 2011, he came up with the idea of thousands of boats on the Chaopraya to push the water towards the sea...

And he proudly pronounced his brain child to the public.

This man is a genius and fearless, and the box he is thinking in must have been used to transport cannabis previously.

Now he is doing it again.

History is a cyclical.

 

Buy = create demand to produce more.

Does that make sense?

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Hosting a contest for composing a patriotic song about Thai-Cambodian history, with a prize of 10,000 baht available. He is rallying support from former students of notable schools and universities to contribute further should the prize prove inadequate.

 

Just when you thought his suggestions cannot possibly get any more idiotic...

26 minutes ago, RandolphGB said:

The landmines are not on Thai soil. If soldiers are struck, they are encroaching onto Khmer land.

They are on land that - mostly - is claimed by both sides.

 

And no doubt some are on clearly Thai land and some are on clearly Cambodian land. 

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

In addition to this, Plodprasop is promoting various activities to foster patriotism among Thais:

 

• Displaying Thai flags and stickers on vehicles.
• Wearing Thai flag buttonhole pins, which he is seeking to purchase in large quantities due to their rarity.
• Hosting a contest for composing a patriotic song about Thai-Cambodian history, with a prize of 10,000 baht available. He is rallying support from former students of notable schools and universities to contribute further should the prize prove inadequate.

He is rallying support from former students of notable schools and universities to contribute further should the task prove a little too challenging.     

 I don't think there is ever any shortage of patriotism amongst the Thais unlike many western nations where it is considered inappropriate these days    Forgive my envy

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

He is an absolute idiot

think about it ..    he wants to pay good Thai money to the enemy ..

so they can go and make more of them  .    any shin relation here ?

 

PS  double that absolute idiot !

17 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

They are on land that - mostly - is claimed by both sides.

 

And no doubt some are on clearly Thai land and some are on clearly Cambodian land. 

 it won't   actually be  that clear where most of them are,  that's the nature of landmines,  nasty things

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Plodprasop emphasises that the campaign is no joke, underlining his serious commitment to the cause.

 Is it April Fools Day already?

This is the same lunatic that wanted to put lion and tiger burgers on the menu when the Chiangmai safari park opened. Completely deluded!

1 hour ago, RandolphGB said:

The landmines are not on Thai soil. If soldiers are struck, they are encroaching onto Khmer land. Secondly, the landmines were dropped by the US in the 1960s and 70s during their bombing campaigns across Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Guess who fought alongside the US in Vietnam? Who was paid vast sums for them to have military bases around the country to aid the aerial offensives? Yes, Thailand. I believe that is what the Thais call karma. 

Ouch. Someone is reaching!  

And this years Darwin award goes to..............

1 hour ago, RandolphGB said:

The landmines are not on Thai soil. If soldiers are struck, they are encroaching onto Khmer land. Secondly, the landmines were dropped by the US in the 1960s and 70s during their bombing campaigns across Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Guess who fought alongside the US in Vietnam? Who was paid vast sums for them to have military bases around the country to aid the aerial offensives? Yes, Thailand. I believe that is what the Thais call karma. 

They are mines put there by Cambodians recently. If they were there since the 60's to 70's, people would have stepped on them long ago, seeing thousands of Thais and Cambodians enter wooded areas to look for mushrooms and other veggies and fruits daily. This happened before with earlier skirmishes between the countries, where a few in my own area here lost legs or life stepping on mines. The mines are on both sides of the border. 

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

composing a patriotic song about Thai-Cambodian history,

 

Tempting. But I'd probably get arrested.

 

 

Kind of reminds me of the British Raj Cobra story. 

Not a shade of embarrassment. 

If I were a relative I would stay in bed.

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

He is an absolute idiot

I wonder where they manage to find so many "smart" people.....😆😆 This is a complete circus....

 

 

This has to be wind up......nobody can be that dumb and still breathe unaided.

3 hours ago, RandolphGB said:

The landmines are not on Thai soil. If soldiers are struck, they are encroaching onto Khmer land. Secondly, the landmines were dropped by the US in the 1960s and 70s during their bombing campaigns across Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Guess who fought alongside the US in Vietnam? Who was paid vast sums for them to have military bases around the country to aid the aerial offensives? Yes, Thailand. I believe that is what the Thais call karma. 

 

Nearly 40 countries provided some form of material support, but five contributed thousands of troops. The largest was the Republic of Korea, which committed 320,000 army, navy, marine and air force personnel from September 1964 to March 1973. The South Koreans lost 5,099 dead and 10,962 wounded. Australia sent advisers to Saigon as early as 1962 and in 1965 added the 1st Australian Task Force. A destroyer and an air force squadron also assisted. The Australian presence, totaling 60,000 troops, ended in March 1973, with 521 killed and 3,000 wounded. New Zealand sent 3,890 troops between 1964 and December 1972, with 41 killed and 187 wounded. Thailand, besides providing bases for U.S. airmen, sent the Royal Thai Volunteer Regiment (Queen’s Cobra) in October 1967 and the Royal Thai Expeditionary Division (Black Panthers) in 1968 for a total of 40,000 troops—351 were killed and 1,358 wounded before the February 1972 withdrawal. The Philippines provided 2,064 personnel in Philippine Civic Action Group, Vietnam to assist civilians between 1966 and 1969.

2 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

They are mines put there by Cambodians recently. If they were there since the 60's to 70's, people would have stepped on them long ago, seeing thousands of Thais and Cambodians enter wooded areas to look for mushrooms and other veggies and fruits daily. This happened before with earlier skirmishes between the countries, where a few in my own area here lost legs or life stepping on mines. The mines are on both sides of the border. 

Landmines were also placed on the Lao/Thai border, not for war, but to prevent Lao people from fleeing into Thailand after the Vietnam war ended.   

 

I used to date a Lao refugee in the early 1980's who was a refugee.  She was with a group of people that fled Laos into Thailand, walking only at night in the jungles.   Several people died, in Laos before reaching the Thai border, killed by landmines!  

 

As someone else said (in fewer words), unattended landmines, indiscriminately killing any  person or animal that steps on them,  are nasty things. 

1 minute ago, radiochaser said:

Landmines were also placed on the Lao/Thai border, not for war, but to prevent Lao people from fleeing into Thailand after the Vietnam war ended.   

 

I used to date a Lao refugee in the early 1980's who was a refugee.  She was with a group of people that fled Laos into Thailand, walking only at night in the jungles.   Several people died, in Laos before reaching the Thai border, killed by landmines!  

 

As someone else said (in fewer words), unattended landmines, indiscriminately killing any  person or animal that steps on them,  are nasty things. 

 

Worse than that......they are generally designed to maim, not kill.......this has a huge mental impact on soldiers and it stretches the medical resources of the enemy.

6 minutes ago, radiochaser said:

Landmines were also placed on the Lao/Thai border, not for war, but to prevent Lao people from fleeing into Thailand after the Vietnam war ended.   

 

I used to date a Lao refugee in the early 1980's who was a refugee.  She was with a group of people that fled Laos into Thailand, walking only at night in the jungles.   Several people died, in Laos before reaching the Thai border, killed by landmines!  

 

As someone else said (in fewer words), unattended landmines, indiscriminately killing any  person or animal that steps on them,  are nasty things. 

At least one in my village lost a leg because of older mines from the last skirmish. I was always leery of looking for mushrooms in the woods near my house because of this, and I'm over 5 miles from the border. 

2 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

They are mines put there by Cambodians recently. If they were there since the 60's to 70's, people would have stepped on them long ago, seeing thousands of Thais and Cambodians enter wooded areas to look for mushrooms and other veggies and fruits daily. This happened before with earlier skirmishes between the countries, where a few in my own area here lost legs or life stepping on mines. The mines are on both sides of the border. 

 

Ok Darwin. Please go and walk in the jungle in those areas if you are so sure they're safe. You won't have two pairs of legs for long.

 

There are up to 10 million unexploded devices still in Laos and Cambodia. They were dropped all along the border, too. 

 

People are blown up by them every week.

4 hours ago, mfd101 said:

They are on land that - mostly - is claimed by both sides.

 

And no doubt some are on clearly Thai land and some are on clearly Cambodian land. 

Prove to us it is on land, recognised internationally, as Thai...please