Thailand says border clashes with Cambodia displace over 400,000 Thai residents

BANGKOK -- Thai Defense Ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri said Wednesday that the ongoing border clashes with Cambodia had forced over 400,000 Thai residents across seven provinces to evacuate.

Thailand's 2nd Army Area Command stated on social media that, beginning at 5:00 a.m. local time Wednesday, exchanges of fire occurred in multiple areas along the border in Buriram, Surin, Sisaket and Ubon Ratchathani provinces, with no casualties reported so far.

The statement added that at around 8:40 a.m. local time, BM-21 rockets fired from the Cambodian side landed near a hospital in Surin province, prompting the evacuation of patients and staff to shelters.

According to Thai media, fresh border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia have forced over 800 schools and many hospitals to temporarily close in Thailand's border provinces.

The Cambodia-Thailand border conflict has reignited since Sunday afternoon. Both sides accused the other of initiating the attack and confirmed casualties.