Border casinos and associated scam-worker accommodations have been targeted by Thai troops, local Cambodian officials said, amid a week of clashes between the two countries.
The conflict reignited on Monday after a Thai soldier was injured by land mines on their patrols of the border in early November — reportedly the 18th soldier to be injured by anti-personnel mines — and Thailand subsequently withdrew from a ceasefire agreement reached at October’s Asean Summit.
The frontlines expanded beyond the previous five-day clash in late July, with more areas evacuated across Cambodia and Thailand’s border provinces. Cambodia’s Defense Ministry said more than 303,000 Cambodians were displaced from their homes by Friday, while Thailand reported 400,000 displacements.
Local news outlet CamboJA News reported that a Thai F-16 on Thursday struck a base outside Preah Vihear’s provincial capital – at 63 kilometers from the border, one of the deepest strikes into Cambodia to date – but the Defense Ministry had not yet responded to the news outlet’s report.
As thousands more from six provinces departed their homes, local officials said that they were still witnessing artillery fire through Thursday. They had seen casinos burn during the week and busloads of foreign workers evacuated in the night.
The border area in Cambodia’s Pursat province is notorious for the expanding scam complex MDS Thmorda SEZ, which is chaired by U.S.-sanctioned Cambodian tycoon Try Pheap.
Chea Sareth, Sangkum Thmei village chief in Thmor Da commune, said on Thursday that Thai troops had continued to fire into Cambodia around the border. But no residences had been damaged — only the casino and “Chinese buildings,” he said, referring to foreign workers’ accommodations.
Cambodia’s massive online-scam industry employs as many as 100,000 foreign workers and has seen waves of human trafficking. Many foreign workers are barred from leaving the scam compounds.
Netizens on Chinese social media channels described both mass exoduses from border compounds and workers still stuck inside. Some were captured on video walking along the side of the road to get away from the fighting, others seen carrying long sticks as they walked. Meanwhile videos circulated showing missiles firing and bullet or shrapnel holes in the sides of villas and other buildings, some of which could be identified as parts of the reported scam compound. One Telegram post in a rumor channel on Wednesday claimed that a boss told them that the artillery fire was just “fireworks,” and that the workers should stay at their desks.
Chea Sareth said it was difficult for foreign workers to leave the Pursat compounds even as they came under fire. “For foreigners, there is still about 30 percent in all the buildings because there are many buildings,” he said.
Srey Ton, a Thmor Da resident, said she had seen many taxis come to pick up Chinese people from the area.
“There was a fire at the casino on the first day of the fighting,” she said. “The Thai attack has hit villas and Chinese accommodations.”
In Oddar Meanchey province’s Ampil commune, further north, acting police chief Phab Chhim said a border casino there was also hit by shelling.
“They shelled to destroy the casino — it was planned,” he said.
Foreign workers’ accommodations had burned, but “we do not dare to check because they keep shelling every day.”
Workers began to be evacuated on the second night, he added. “We saw many buses. Each night we saw many.”
At the O’Smach border, also in Oddar Meanchey province, attacks had expanded from U.S.-sanctioned tycoon Ly Yong Phat’s casino to the Royal Hill casino opposite, said Samraong city police officer Mey Rouch.
Casino buildings had burned and workers evacuated, he said, but added that in O’Smach the attacks also appeared to extend indiscriminately.
“They strongly attacked by airplane and drone. Mostly the airplanes have dropped in many areas,” he said. “They fired everywhere in O’Smach throughout the village and they do not care which locations.”
Local online journalists captured video of hundreds of foreigners walking out of the O’Smach compound in the days after the attacks started. The Chinese Embassy in Cambodia in Wednesday said it was investigating reports of its citizens injured in the O’Smach border area, and instructed citizens to leave immediately.
The latest fighting came a week after Thailand seized assets and issued arrest warrants related to other scam-linked Cambodian tycoons Kok An and Yim Leak.
Additional reporting by Danielle Keeton-Olsen