Chaos in Phanom Dong Rak as officials chased a suspicious man in a sugarcane field following reports he "sent coordinates" to Cambodia. The man denied being a spy and claimed he ran away because he was startled.
On 12 Dec 2025 GMT+7, reports stated that volunteer officials from Phanom Dong Rak district, Surin province, community leaders, and village security personnel ran into a sugarcane field near a village in the area to chase a suspicious man after receiving reports that someone had sent location coordinates to Cambodia.
As soon as officials arrived, the suspect immediately fled into the sugarcane field, prompting the officials to rush in and attempt to apprehend him.
While escorting the man out of the sugarcane field and into a vehicle, he showed irritation and anger toward the officials, accusing them of excessive force. He stated he was not a spy for Cambodia and explained that he is a local resident staying at a friend named Mr. Bank’s house. He said when officials barged in pointing guns at him, he became frightened and ran into the sugarcane field.
The man also angrily accused local administrative officials of misconduct, insisting he is Thai, not Cambodian. Meanwhile, officials and community leaders explained they were performing their duties because although they had seen the man before, he was not from the village. They asked why he would flee if he was innocent when officials entered.
The man claimed his identification documents were in his bag, but he did not know when the bag went missing.
Mr. Somnuek Phakchantuk, assistant village headman of Phanom Dong Rak, said no official acted beyond their authority. Before investigating, they had received reports that the coordinates were being sent to Cambodian authorities. Officials needed to verify this, but upon arrival, the suspect fled into the sugarcane field. He said it would be unusual for an innocent person not to cooperate. Importantly, the area is under martial law and is a live-fire zone, so it is not a place for casual presence, raising several suspicions.
The community leader acknowledged knowing the man by sight as a resident of a nearby village, but not from their village. The man is Thai and speaks Cambodian. Officials confirmed all procedures were properly followed after the report was received. The man named Mr. Bank, whom the suspect mentioned, is from the village but was not at home during the clashes.