SURIN — A tragic incident unfolded in Surin Province on Friday when a Thai soldier from the Thailand-Cambodia border conflict zone shot and wounded two Thai civilians before taking his own life, highlighting the mounting psychological toll of ongoing border tensions that have claimed at least 16 Thai military lives and left 5 soldiers disabled by landmines.
The Shooting Incident
According to the Royal Thai Army, the shooting occurred in Kab Choeng District, Surin Province on August 15, 2025. At 12:45 a.m., troops from the 1623rd Infantry Company heard 10 gunshots near a road by Wat Ban Khuean Kaew temple, followed by 2 more shots at 12:54 a.m.
Upon checking personnel and weapons, officials discovered that Private Ratthaphum had left his post without authorization, taking his service rifle and ammunition. The shooting left two civilians wounded: Anuwat, 32, who sustained a critical gunshot wound to his right lung but remained conscious and was transferred to Surin Hospital, and Wutthana, 35, who suffered minor glass fragment injuries to his left foot and was in stable condition. Both victims initially received emergency treatment at Kab Choeng Hospital and were reported out of danger.
The Search and Tragic End
Police Colonel Sukhon Sri-arun, Surin Provincial Police Commander, revealed that during the manhunt for the soldier, they believed he was still alive after technical equipment detected signals around 5 a.m. within a 2-kilometer radius. The soldier’s father and family were brought in to help negotiate his surrender, but tragically, search teams found that Private Ratthaphum had used his service weapon to take his own life.
Police Captain Khamphon Nonuch, Kab Choeng Police Station Chief, said the soldier had secretly left his base with his weapon. Initial information from relatives revealed that the soldier had been stationed at Prasat Ta Kway during combat operations and returned to base on August 3, having not been home for two months.
Family’s Grief
Prayoon, 51, the soldier’s father, along with family members who had been closely following the situation, wept in grief upon learning the tragic news. Prayoon insisted his son never had mental health problems, was unmarried, and never shared personal troubles, but suspected stress from combat in the Prasat Ta Kway border area in Bak Dai subdistrict, Phanom Dong Rak district.
The Contested Border Zone
Prasat Ta Kway is one of 11 points along the Thai-Cambodia border where Thai forces maintain positions, but it’s the only area where Thailand cannot claim 100% control due to Cambodian-planted landmines and ongoing confrontations between both sides’ forces. Thai troops are positioned 30 meters from the temple structure.
Lieutenant General Boonsin Padklang, Commander of the 2nd Army Area, had just reaffirmed on August 14 that Prasat Ta Kway belongs to Thailand and must be reclaimed “by any means necessary, both internationally and domestically.”
Witness Accounts
Wilaiporn Praphasphong, 50, owner of the shop where the shooting occurred in Ban Khuean Kaew, said she closed around 9:30 p.m. after young people had been drinking to celebrate a new car purchase. Less than an hour after they left, she heard a burst of gunfire, then found bullet holes through her door and injured people crying out. Within 10 minutes, she heard two more shots from an unknown direction and called an ambulance.
Around 10:35 a.m., military personnel patrolling along an irrigation canal about 120 meters east of the shop found Private Ratthaphum’s body.
A local villager revealed that the two shot men regularly drank at the location, having started drinking from 2 p.m. that day until 10 p.m. The soldier, who was on patrol, likely came to warn them about the noise. After a brief quiet period, the noise resumed. The villager believed the soldier was stressed and provoked, expressing more sympathy for the soldier than the victims.
Another tearful village woman said she truly felt sorry – the soldier had survived Prasat Ta Kway and made it through the battlefield, only to end his life over the words of people who looked down on him. As a military family member herself, she understood his feelings. Instead of returning to live with his parents, he died behind her house.
Military Response
The Royal Thai Army issued a statement expressing condolences and confirming full cooperation with all agencies in the legal investigation process, while rushing to provide the best possible assistance to the injured.
Lieutenant General Boonsin also expressed regret over the incident, noting that wartime conditions create battlefield stress factors. The army therefore needs to monitor frontline personnel’s mental health.
“We have sent medical teams to care for personnel, especially those in combat zones, to assess which personnel may be at risk. Certainly, combat and violent incidents have psychological impacts – this is something we are already monitoring,” Lieutenant General Boonsin stated.
“We have sent medical teams to care for personnel, especially those in combat zones, to assess which personnel may be at risk. Certainly, combat and violent incidents have psychological impacts – this is something we are already monitoring,” Lieutenant General Boonsin stated.
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