Thai government holds memorial with Kantharalak community for civilians killed in Cambodian rocket attack
Thailand holds memorial for eight civilians, including a child, killed in a Cambodian BM-21 rocket strike, with widespread public and diplomatic support.
On August 2 at 09:30 AM, the Thai government held a solemn memorial ceremony at a PTT petrol station in Ban Phue, Kantharalak District, Si Sa Ket Province, to honour the victims of a BM-21 rocket attack by Cambodian forces on July 24. The strike killed eight civilians on site, including an 8-year-old child, and injured 15 others.
The ceremony was attended by a large number of local residents, Thai and international media, and members of the public. Locals carried flowers, writing heartfelt messages of condolence and raising flowers above their heads in a symbolic act of protest—declaring the targeting of civilians to be an “utterly inhumane” act—before placing them near the building still bearing scars from the explosion.
A representative of the local community stated that the gesture was meant to honour the spirits of the deceased and call for an immediate end to attacks targeting innocent civilians. The speaker also emphasised that the area was designated a "green zone", where no combat or violence should ever take place. “Had the rocket landed deeper in a populated area, the loss would have been far greater,” they said.
Images and footage from the ceremony quickly spread across social media, prompting an outpouring of sympathy from netizens mourning the loss and condemning the violence.
A day earlier, on August 1, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Royal Thai Army, and the Public Relations Department led a diplomatic delegation—including ambassadors and defence attachés from 23 countries, along with more than 150 journalists from over 40 international media outlets—to visit the affected areas. Diplomats were able to speak directly with local residents, see the extent of the damage firsthand, and understand the real impact on Thai civilians.
Many foreign representatives expressed their condolences and offered support for Thailand’s commitment to resolving the crisis through peaceful and lawful means.
