Trat Residents Brace for Evacuation as Cambodia Digs Border Trenches

More than a year after the guns fell silent along the forested ridges east of Trat, Thai patrols have confirmed that a fresh lattice of Cambodian trenches is now hugging the frontier. The discovery forces Bangkok to balance heightened vigilance with the government’s stated desire to keep trade flowing and tempers cool in an area still scarred by past skirmishes.

Snapshot at a Glance

• The new earthworks stretch for about 1 km opposite three Thai hamlets—Tha Sen, Nong Ri and Chamrak—at an average distance of 500 m from Thai foxholes.

• Thai commanders say the digging lies on the Cambodian side of an unsettled boundary, therefore does not breach sovereignty, but surveillance drones from Phnom Penh did trigger a formal protest.

• Bangkok has reinforced patrols, rolled out AI-equipped cameras and reminded troops of a “no first shot” policy while quietly updating evacuation plans for four tambon in case the mood sours.

Ground Zero: Three Villages on Edge

Border farmers living around the red-earth lanes of Ban Tha Sen, Ban Nong Ri and Ban Chamrak now wake to the sound of trucks and backhoes just across the tree line. Local defence volunteers told our reporter that “night-time engine noise”, previously rare, has become routine since mid-January. Aerial photographs obtained from naval sources show zig-zag trenches, revetments for light armour and what appears to be a small drone launch pad carved into a bamboo grove.

Thai marines from the Chanthaburi-Trat Border Defence Command maintain that the construction stays inside Cambodian coordinates, mirroring Thai bunkers but not inching closer. Still, residents remember the brief firefights of 2022 and worry that even symbolic moves can spiral. One shopkeeper in Nong Ri put it bluntly: “Every shovel across that line makes our rice prices drop.”

Phnom Penh’s Calculus: Fortify, Observe, Deter

Military analysts in Bangkok interpret the trench-building as part of Cambodia’s post-ceasefire routine to upgrade defensive depth, create all-weather firing positions and, crucially, signal domestic resolve ahead of village elections in Koh Kong province just 30 km away. Cambodian engineers, shielded by a border security unit, completed most of the works within ten days—speed pointing to pre-fabricated revetment kits financed under Phnom Penh’s 2025 Modernisation Plan.

At the same time, naval officers confirm at least three drone overflights since 19 January, one of which crossed the ridgeline before turning back. Cambodia argues the craft remained within its airspace; Thailand filed a diplomatic note and activated a counter-UAS jammer but stopped short of shooting.

Thailand’s Playbook: Sensors, Soldiers and Soft Power

Bangkok’s immediate response blended technology, troop rotation and talking points. Key moves include:

Deploying UAVs with thermal optics to map any trench extension during darkness.

Doubling companies of the Royal Thai Marines at Strategic Hill 482, considered the natural high ground advantage.

Installing fiber-linked cameras that feed real-time imagery to the Navy’s Eastern Seaboard command post in Sattahip.

Issuing a public reminder—via Defence Chief Gen Ukris Boontanondha—that reinforcement after a ceasefire is “normal behaviour, not provocation,” urging villagers to treat viral confrontation clips with caution.

Diplomatically, Thailand leans on the 2000 MOU on Land Boundary Demarcation, which bans new permanent structures in disputed terrain but allows maintenance of existing positions. Officials insist the trenches fall just outside the 17 overlapping claims still under review by the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC).

A Border That Rarely Rests

Trat’s 105 km land boundary with Cambodia is a patchwork stitched by French-era treaties from 1904 and 1907, only partially surveyed on the ground. Between Pillars 70 and 71 no physical markers exist, forcing both sides to rely on the Dangrek watershed line—and their own interpretation of muddy maps.

Past incidents tell a cyclical story: 2008 artillery exchanges at Phu Makhua, the 2022 two-hour firefight near Ban Chamrak, and multiple UXO discoveries that still endanger rubber-tap routes today. Each flare-up typically ends with a ceasefire, followed by quiet reinforcement—the pattern currently on display.

What Residents and Traders Should Watch

For people in eastern Thailand the latest digging matters less for its depth than for the sentiments it stirs. Authorities have already:

• Readied 100 % evacuation buses for four high-risk tambon should shelling recur.

• Coordinated with customs to keep the Ban Hat Lek crossing open but on a two-hour closure alert.

• Advised fruit exporters to secure alternate routes via Chanthaburi in case insurance firms hike war-risk premiums.

Meanwhile, phones in Trat buzz with rumours. The provincial office asks citizens to rely on the LINE account “Trat Border Update” for verified bulletins and to avoid sharing unvetted drone footage that could trigger panic.

Looking Ahead: Vigilance without Escalation

Both capitals say they want calm. The next session of the JBC—tentatively set for late March in Siem Reap—offers a venue to address not just trenches but the broader puzzle of an unfinished border. Until then, Thai units will continue to monitor, document and protest when necessary, banking on the belief that deterrence works best when accompanied by open phone lines and an unwavering focus on local livelihoods.

For now, the message from Bangkok is consistent: hold the line, mind the facts, keep the peace.