Private Preeyawat Chongthip, a frontline soldier wounded in a border clash, opens up about why he declined transfer to Phra Mongkut Hospital. He cited concern for his family who would face a long journey and affirmed his determination to continue serving as a soldier to protect sovereignty and earn money to repair his home for a better life.
Following the December 2025 Thai-Cambodian border clash that caused multiple Thai military casualties, Private Preeyawat Chongthip, known as Private Lee, was injured by BM-21 shrapnel that pierced his neck. He was sent to Surin Hospital for treatment and expressed his wish not to transfer to Phra Mongkut Hospital due to worry for his mother and two younger siblings and the difficulty his family would face traveling far to visit him.
On 8 January 2026, reporters visited Private Preeyawat Chongthip's home in Village 6, Ban Nong Sam, Muang Ling Subdistrict, Chom Phra District, Surin Province. It is a single-story wooden house with a corrugated iron roof, surrounded by wood and gypsum sheets, and a concrete floor. His bedroom was a room extended in front of the house entrance, with an old mattress inside. The house is very dilapidated, with a leaking roof throughout. The kitchen uses firewood and charcoal stoves, and the bathroom is located outside the house.
They met Mrs. Orn Insamran, 48, a cousin of Private Lee's mother, who described him as well-behaved, helpful to neighbors, and the family’s main support. Whenever he received his salary, he regularly sent money home. When he was away, his mother took on daily wage work earning 200–250 baht, sometimes with work and sometimes without. The family has two other children: a 6-year-old youngest sibling and a 15-year-old second child.
At Surin Hospital, reporters met Ms. Nuan Mahawong, Private Lee’s mother. She said he is the family's pillar. She was very shocked and upset upon learning of his injury and rushed to the hospital. Now she feels relieved that her son is safe, as their family consists of only four members. She has three sons; Private Lee is the eldest. She is proud that he serves the nation fully and is part of reclaiming Thai sovereignty.
She added that Private Lee's phone was damaged by the BM-21 shrapnel blast but was fortunately repaired by a kind volunteer. After he received compensation, she bought him a new phone because she worried he would have none for work and communication. The phone is his only valuable possession. The repaired phone will be kept as a backup. She sent a message to soldiers guarding the border to keep fighting to protect Thai sovereignty, saying, "A mother supports all her children."
Private Lee shared that he wanted to be a soldier and had served nearly two years as a conscript in Surin. On the day he was hit by BM-21 shrapnel, he felt numb and unable to move, fearing he would not survive. Fortunately, his fellow soldiers helped him by applying cloth to stop the heavy bleeding from his neck wound, which was severe, with shrapnel entering from the back and exiting the front of his neck.
His comrades quickly carried him on a stretcher and airlifted him to Surin Hospital on 9 December 2025. He has been recovering since then. Doctors stitched about 200 stitches due to the large wound and said he was lucky not to have hit his windpipe. He still needs thyroid surgery and has not returned home. He declined transfer to Phra Mongkut Hospital because of concern for his mother and siblings and the long distance, which would make family visits difficult. He chose to stay in Surin so his mother can visit easily. The round trip from his home in Chom Phra to Surin Hospital is less than 100 km. After recovery, he has already applied to become a non-commissioned officer.
He dreams of continuing his military career. If accepted as a non-commissioned officer, he plans to take a loan to repair his mother's home, which has a leaking roof and patched walls made of gypsum and wood. During the rainy season, the house leaks and the floor becomes wet. He expressed gratitude to everyone supporting him and all Thai soldiers. He thanked those who kindly helped repair his phone and supported his expenses, giving him morale. He vowed to remain a soldier to protect Thailand's sovereignty forever.