The family deeply mourns the loss of "Sergeant Min," Sergeant Ananda Udorn, a hero of the Phumakuea battlefield. His sister recounted the moment they received the tragic news; their father was so shocked he fainted and could not regain composure. She revealed the ominous signs from his last visit home, when her younger brother hugged everyone before returning to fight. The family appeals to security agencies to quickly restore peace to prevent anyone else from being lost.
Following clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border at Phumakuea on 9 Dec 2025 GMT+7, Thailand suffered another casualty: Sergeant Ananda Udorn, also known as Sergeant Min, aged 39, assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment (3rd Bn, 16th Inf. Regt.) of the 6th Infantry Division, stationed at Bodindecha Camp, Yasothon Province. He was the sixth brave soldier to die in this incident. Sergeant Ananda was severely wounded by shrapnel from a BM-21 rocket fired by Cambodian forces while on duty at the Phumakuea battlefield in Kantharalak District, Sisaket Province. He was transported to Surin Hospital but succumbed to his injuries later.
On 11 Dec 2025 GMT+7, reporters visited Lai Chai Mongkhon Temple in Chakong Subdistrict, Khukhan District, Sisaket Province, near Sergeant Ananda's hometown. There, monks, soldiers, and villagers were preparing the venue for religious rites amid an atmosphere heavy with grief.
Mrs. Jaew Udorn, 53, Sergeant Ananda's third older sister, tearfully described the moment the family learned the tragic news as unforgettable. While resting, she heard her younger sister call their father to say, "Our brother was hit by a bomb." Shocked, she immediately stood up and saw their father collapse and faint from shock and deep sorrow. She quickly fetched smelling salts to comfort him, telling him to stay calm and that she would stay by his side. She said, "Our brother has left us, but I won’t leave you." Everyone was stunned. After regaining composure, the family called to confirm that the brother’s body was at Surin Hospital and rushed there without packing any clothes or belongings.
Mrs. Jaew continued that her brother was cheerful, lively, and very fond of friends. During his last visit home for the Kathin festival, she noticed he hugged many villagers unusually. She wondered if it was a premonition, as he normally didn’t hug many people like that. It seemed like a farewell hug, though they weren’t sure if it really meant that.
Currently, their father remains dazed and incoherent due to grief, requiring close care. Mrs. Jaew appealed to security agencies to urgently restore peace. She urged the soldiers to do their best, hoping for a swift end to the conflict so no other families would suffer. Her brother loved being a soldier deeply; although the family asked him to quit several times, he insisted on serving the nation. She said, "We told him to resign many times, but he never agreed. He probably did his best for our country."
Mrs. Amphai Thongchai, 49, Sergeant Ananda’s aunt, said that upon receiving a call from Sergeant Min’s father informing her that he had been hit by shrapnel and was likely deceased, she was overwhelmed with grief and cried. She then contacted the village leader to inform them that their soldier had been injured by shrapnel. When told Sergeant Min was at Surin Hospital receiving CPR, she immediately traveled there and saw him in the ICU, unconscious and in critical condition.
The last time she saw Sergeant Min was in October during the Kathin merit-making at his hometown temple, where his coffin is now placed. She asked how he was after the first war ended, and he said he was fine and not to worry. Sergeant Min had a good, cheerful personality and liked participating in community activities. He enjoyed playing football but nearly lost his life during the first war. After that war, he had his father take him to pay respects to his ancestors and relatives, performing traditional Isan welcoming rituals with arm-tying. She never expected a second war to occur.
Regarding the dog named Mali, it was a dog that fled the first war battlefield and gave birth near Sergeant Min’s shelter or bomb shelter. Sergeant Min took the dog in with love and affection, treating Mali like a child, sleeping with it and taking it everywhere, even bringing it along when returning to his hometown.
An ominous sign Mrs. Amphai noticed was during Sergeant Min’s last home visit in October at Kathin time, when he hugged everyone he loved and respected. It seemed unusual behavior he had never done before, like a farewell gesture. She wanted to tell her nephew for the last time that he did his best serving the nation and protecting Thailand’s land. She told him not to worry about their father or anyone else and to rest peacefully. She promised to care for their father and siblings and sent her support to all soldiers fighting to reclaim and preserve their homeland.
Reporters added that while monks, military personnel, and villagers were preparing the venue, they could hear artillery fire intermittently from the Thai-Cambodian border. It is expected that Sergeant Min’s body will be moved from Surin Province to Lai Chai Mongkhon Temple, the event site, by this afternoon.