The Prime Minister urgently flew to visit a Marine soldier who stepped on a landmine on the Trat border, resulting in the loss of his leg—the eighth such case. He stressed that the government and military will not abandon the soldiers and will provide full care. He warned Cambodia that such actions undermine any hopes of peace and urged the international community to caution the opposing side rather than focusing only on Thailand.
On 21 December 2025 GMT+7, at Pra Pokklao Hospital in Chanthaburi, Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, made an urgent visit to encourage Sergeant Major Therdpong Phomnara, an engineering soldier from the Trat Marine Task Force of the Navy. He had been seriously injured after stepping on a landmine near the Thai-Cambodian border, resulting in the loss of his leg. This marks the eighth soldier injured in such incidents.
Anutin said that upon learning of the soldier’s injury from a landmine incident, he immediately came to offer support and encouragement. He reaffirmed that the government and military will never abandon these heroes who sacrifice for the country and will provide full support for their treatment, rehabilitation, and compensation.
“Doing this and then saying to stop and make peace is unacceptable. This is an encroachment on Thai territory. The international community must know that instead of telling Thailand what to do, they should tell the party responsible to stop their actions. As for anyone telling Thailand what to do, Thailand has its own approach and will take necessary measures. We will not allow Thai citizens and soldiers to be harmed like this.”
According to reporters, the landmine incident occurred in Ban Nong Ree, Chamrak Subdistrict, Mueang Trat District. This is an area where Cambodian forces reportedly planted landmines near community areas. As a result, a Thai soldier was injured during patrol duties and was urgently sent for medical treatment.
Doctors at Pra Pokklao Hospital in Chanthaburi reported that Sergeant Major Therdpong is now out of danger and conscious after surgery, with bleeding controlled. However, he still requires continuous treatment and antibiotics for at least one week.
Later, Anutin said in an interview that morale has been consistently given to all soldiers. Some soldiers have been unlucky and were harmed during their duties, as in this eighth case. If such actions continue alongside calls to stop fighting and make peace, it is contradictory. This is a violation of Thailand’s territorial integrity. Thailand must respond so the aggressors hear it. When asked if the border situation is calm, Anutin replied it cannot be calm if Thai people are harmed. He mentioned having to retrieve the bodies of two soldiers who died on Hill 350, where Cambodia left the bodies exposed to the elements for 3-4 days, refusing to allow their retrieval for funeral rites. Using the bodies as bait is not the way of those seeking peace. He urged the international community to see this. He said he’s received calls telling Thailand to stop shooting and respect certain conditions, but questioned who respects Thailand. This must be reiterated: tell those harming Thailand, not Thailand itself. When asked if unrest will end before the election, Anutin said this is unrelated to elections. They want to end the conflict as soon as possible to prevent more losses. The military will expedite restoring sovereignty and security in all targeted areas without fear or hesitation. The priority now is to protect Thai lives and soldiers; there is no alternative.
