Border-Area Rubber Farmers Change Work Schedule, Fear Cambodian Soldiers' Gunfire and Abductions—Demand Increased Security Measures
Rubber farmers in Buriram's Ban Krot District are shifting work schedules to avoid Cambodian soldiers who crossed the border in May, opening fire and forcing residents to flee; locals demand increased security measures to prevent further in
Buriram—Border-area rubber farmers in Ban Krot District, Buriram Province are banding together and shifting their rubber tapping schedules to early morning or midday hours following an incident on May 8 when over 10 armed Cambodian soldiers crossed into Thai territory, opened fire on forest foragers, and forced locals to abandon their motorcycles. The situation has been compounded by reports of Cambodian troops detaining residents from Surin Province and holding them in Udon Mueang Province, Cambodia, with no sign of release.
Farmers traditionally tap rubber in the early morning hours when latex flows more abundantly, but security fears are now forcing many to abandon this practice. Residents with rubber plantations near the border are postponing their tapping work entirely due to safety concerns.
Somphet Suphannya, 66, a rubber farmer in Sai Tho 1 South, expressed his worry over the border incursions and abductions. He explained that many farmers must now shift to daytime work, greatly impacting their livelihoods. He and other residents are urging authorities to implement stronger security measures and build barriers to prevent Cambodian soldiers from crossing into Thai territory.
Kittipat Sudchana, headman of Sai Tho 1 South in Prasat Subdistrict, Ban Krot District, stated that the incidents have caused significant alarm among border residents who depend on rubber, cassava, and rice farming. He has advised locals to avoid nighttime farm work, travel in groups rather than alone, and report any suspicious persons to village leaders or authorities immediately for community safety.
