Transcript of the above video: 

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing a recent escalation with regard to the situation along the Thai Khmer border. We have been discussing this in multiple different contexts here the past couple of weeks. It looks like things are escalating there and that's unfortunate. To be clear, I wish things were de-escalating but it appears that that is not the case and I am going to get into that here in a minute.  

I think it's worth pointing out I do a very much, much more of a long-form news service for folks that are interested: Integrity News Service. I expect this week, the one I am going to do is going to be quite long because this week a whole lot has been going on, both politically here domestically in Thailand, as well as along the border. So for those who are interested in getting into that and seeing how the geopolitical events may shape expat land here in Thailand as well as all this news we are getting about Banking and Immigration stuff including issues associated with driving licenses for the expat community, if you're interested in any of that, you can email us at [email protected], and we will get you on the mailing list for that long form stuff. While I'm talking my book very quickly, my better half and I have set up a restaurant here in downtown Bangkok, Pancake Palace. As the name implies, we have got American breakfast all day, including pancakes. We do have a great English breakfast as well as American Diner style food including hamburgers, cheeseburgers, best buffalo wings in town, as well as chilli bowls, pork chops, hot dogs, Polish sausages etc., Coke in glass bottles. If you're interested in American Diner style food come check us out; link is in the description below. That said, let's get into this.

I thought of making this video after reading two recent articles from Bangkok Post, hats off to them for keeping us up to date on this. Quoting directly, bangkokpost.com. "Cambodian rockets kill four Thai civilians in two provinces. Quoting directly: "Four civilians have been reported dead in two separate incidents involving Cambodian rocket fire that struck communities in two Thai provinces on Thursday morning." (We are making this video on Thursday afternoon.) Quoting further: "Two people were killed and two injured when BM-21 rockets fired from Cambodia struck a village in Kap Choeng District of Surin Province, where evacuations of up to 40,000 residents to emergency shelters were underway. District chief Sitthiroj Charoenthanasak confirmed that two rockets struck the village at 9.40 am while residents were awaiting evacuation. Four people were wounded, with two later dying at hospital: a 12-year-old child and an adult." Certainly our hearts and prayers go out to those folks; very sad. Quoting further: "In Si Sa Ket province, two people were reported killed and many other civilians hurt when Cambodian rockets fell into a supermarket at a petrol station in Ban Phue in Kanthararak district, Provincial Governor Watthana Phutthichat said. The second Army region posted a video of the incident on its Facebook page at 11.30am." I urge those who are watching this video go check out Bangkok Post, bangkokpost.com, you'll get a wider amount of information article you can also get the links directly to the Facebook post as well. 

That said, we do take this from the tack or from the angle more or less of sort of expat World here out in southeast Asia specifically here in Thailand so the issue of borders, Border Running, Visa Runs often comes up. I thought the following was also pertinent. Again Bangkok Post, bangkokpost.com, the article is titled: Army seals border with Cambodia, closes temple ruins. "The Commander of the Second Army Region suspended visits to the Ta Muen Thom and Ta Kwai temple ruins in Surin Province and sealed the border with Cambodia on Thursday, following a landmine explosion that injured five Thai soldiers on Wednesday.” Quoting further: "Cambodian troops on Thursday morning opened fire on a Thai position near the temple area ruins in Surin, the Army said." Quoting further: "Lt Gen Boonsin said the closure order was aimed at protecting Thailand's sovereignty and territory and the safety of Thai citizens' lives and property and at expressing Thailand's opposition to the use of anti-personnel landmines." So, I would say for at least the immediately foreseeable future it would not be wise to presume that Border Runs are going to be possible along the Thai Cambodian border and that is probably going to be the case at least for the immediately foreseeable future. So again our thoughts and prayers are definitely with the folks that have been adversely affected by this along the border. 

With regard to expat sort of issues surrounding visas, Visa Runs, if you are already on the other side of the Cambodian border and you were trying to get back in when this went down, probably not a terrible idea to just scrap that plan, go to Siem Reap or make whatever arrangements you can to get to Phnom Penh. If you try to do that, fly out, you may need to even go through a third country to get back over here into Thailand. Again, I am not really sure how this is all going to play out. That being stated, it's probably best to presume you are not going to be able to use that border. That would be the most logical thing in my mind to presume at this point. That being said, we will certainly be keeping people updated with the situation on this channel as it evolves.