Moment of terror: Daughter of petrol station owner recounts Cambodian rocket strike just 20 metres away
A 10-year-old girl shares her account of the Cambodian BM-21 rocket strike that hit a convenience store, just 20 metres from where she was sitting in Sisaket.
On August 1, 2025, the Royal Thai Army led a delegation of 200 guests, including ambassadors and deputy heads of mission from 11 countries, military attachés from 23 nations, and members of the international press, to a PTT petrol station in Ban Phue, Nong Ya Lat Subdistrict, Kantharalak District, Sisaket Province. The visit was arranged to observe the aftermath of the Cambodian BM-21 rocket strike that hit a convenience store on-site, killing eight civilians—including an 8-year-old child—and injuring ten more.
During the visit, the 10-year-old daughter of the petrol station owner shared her first-hand experience by writing a letter in English addressed to the diplomats and journalists. Her letter read:
"I am the daughter of the owner of this petrol station and I was here during the incident. When the rocket fell on the 7-Eleven store, I was in the Café Amazon, around 20 metres away, sitting at the counter with the staff. The blast and shrapnel reached the café where I was sitting."
"Before the fighting between Thailand and Cambodia, this place was full of customers, but now nobody comes anymore. That day, no one was in the shop, so luckily no one inside was hurt. When we heard the explosion, we immediately ran out of the café. I saw a huge cloud of smoke rise into the air. Two minutes later, my mum and aunt came on a motorbike to get me. My mum shouted to everyone around the petrol station to run away."
The emotional account served as a vivid reminder to the diplomatic corps of the civilian toll inflicted during the recent cross-border shelling. The visit underscored Thailand’s call for international attention and understanding of the true impact of the conflict on innocent lives.
