Some Ban Kruat Residents Build Underground Shelters Instead of Evacuating, Urge Soldiers to Defend Sovereignty as New Year Gift

Some villagers in Ban Kruat District, Buriram Province, who did not evacuate to shelters, have invested in building underground bunkers. They declared their intention to stay put and fight, assisting community leaders and the village security volunteers in maintaining safety. They also urged soldiers to fight fully to defend the nation’s sovereignty as a New Year gift to the Thai people.

On 12 Dec 2025 GMT+7, reporters covering clashes along the Thailand-Cambodia border in Ban Kruat District, Buriram Province, reported that gunfire could still be heard intermittently from the border area of Surin Province. Some villagers in Ban Kruat who have not evacuated to shelters, worried about their property, homes, and livestock, invested in buying concrete pipes and hiring backhoes and six-wheel trucks to dig earth near their gardens beside their homes to build bunker shelters for emergency protection. They also packed essential supplies into their vehicles to prepare in case the situation worsens and spreads further.

Mr. Phon Nontabot, 52, a resident of Ban Kruat District, Buriram Province, said he was not comfortable evacuating to shelters. Therefore, he hired vehicles and bought materials to build an underground bunker shelter. During heavy clashes, it could serve as a refuge for himself and neighbors. This was a precautionary measure in case the situation became dangerous; if it did not escalate, that would be better.

In the village where he lives, over 70% of the villagers have evacuated to shelters. He did not evacuate because he needed to look after his property and also to help maintain security for the village alongside community leaders and the village security volunteers.