Cambodian Grad Rocket Attack Hits Buri Ram Paddy Fields

A faint thud, then a shockwave—before dawn on Tuesday, five rockets punched into paddy fields outside Ban Wa in Buri Ram’s Lahan Sai district, rattling a community already on edge from days of cross-border shelling. By mid-morning, a lone ambulance siren broke the silence, carrying a 55-year-old villager who had collapsed from fear. No one else was hurt, but the incident underlined how swiftly Thailand’s eastern frontier can turn into a danger zone.

Snapshot of a Frayed Morning

• 5 BM-21 rockets landed within a 500 m radius of Ban Wa just after 08:00.

• All projectiles struck rice fields and ponds, sparing homes but shredding >10 fruit trees and punching holes through one roof.

• 30 residents—most acting as village defence volunteers—were still in the hamlet; the rest had already moved to a district shelter.

• A woman with a long-standing heart condition fainted amid the blasts; doctors later said she was stable.

• The Army’s 2nd Infantry Division is tracing launch points believed to lie across the Cambodian border, 25–30 km away.

A Sudden Awakening in Lahan Sai

Locals say the terror began around 04:00, when artillery rumbles from across the frontier echoed through the darkness. By daylight, the sky above Tambon Khao Din was eerily still—until the familiar whistle of incoming rockets sent the remaining residents scrambling into earthen bunkers they had dug behind cattle sheds. “We knew the sound, but you never think it will land here,” said farmer Somchai Sri-nual, clutching a cracked tin roofing sheet peppered with shrapnel.

What We Know About the Rockets

Military bomb-disposal teams have identified the munitions as BM-21 ‘Grad’ 122 mm rockets—a Soviet-era workhorse widely used by Cambodia’s Royal Armed Forces. Based on entry angles and debris patterns, investigators estimate the launch site to be within 35 km of the Thai line. Crucially, the rounds carried conventional fragmentation warheads rather than incendiary or cluster types, limiting—though hardly eliminating—the damage.

A Border That Won’t Stay Quiet

Tuesday’s strike followed a grim pattern. On Monday, a separate BM-21 barrage hit Ban Kruat district, killing a 55-year-old evacuee with cardiac complications. Over the weekend, hospitals in Surin and Ubon Ratchathani ferried wards into basements amid repeated shelling. Analysts at the Institute of Security and International Studies (ISIS-Thailand) warn the current flare-up is the most intense since the 2011 Preah Vihear clashes, pointing to more than 50 rockets fired into Thai territory since 7 December.

Life in the Shelters

Inside Lahan Sai’s municipal hall, faded portraits of past governors overlook rows of canvas cots. “People rotate back to feed livestock or check fields, but nights are spent here,” said district chief Wichian Phusri. Children attend improvised classrooms run by volunteer teachers. Psychological-support teams from Prakhon Chai Hospital offer counselling, citing rising cases of insomnia and anxiety. Villagers complain of lost harvests: paddy left uncut could translate into millions of baht in damages if fighting drags on.

The Military Response

The Royal Thai Army has reinforced artillery counter-battery units and installed additional radar to track launches in real time. While officials insist Bangkok is committed to quiet diplomacy, Lt Gen Chalermchai Kositpipat—commander of Army Region 2—said troops would “respond proportionately” if civilian areas remain under threat. Border checkpoints now scan every vehicle for suspicious cargo, and night-time curfews have been imposed within 5 km of the line in four provinces.

Understanding the BM-21 “Grad”

First fielded in 1963, the BM-21 fires 40 rockets in <20 seconds, blanketing an area the size of 10 football pitches. Standard rounds travel 20–30 km, though upgraded variants can reach 45 km. Lacking guidance systems, the launcher sacrifices accuracy for volume, making it a blunt instrument—devastating against troop concentrations but indiscriminate near civilians. Cambodia has deployed the system in multiple standoffs with Thailand, notably during July’s skirmishes in Sisaket and last month’s shelling near Phanom Dong Rak.

Looking Ahead

Meteorologists forecast clear skies over Buri Ram this week, yet villagers fear what might fall from them. Provincial authorities are stockpiling sandbags, generators and medical kits while urging residents to stay inside hardened shelters after dark. Diplomats from both nations are due to meet in Phnom Penh on Friday, but on the ground, few expect a quick fix. As one exhausted volunteer put it, “We can rebuild roofs. What’s harder is sleeping when you know the next boom could be yours.”