Rangsan Angda had already packed his bags, fearing that a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia would not hold. The ceasefire, brokered by Donald Trump, had seemed precarious from the start. On Sunday, loudspeakers in his village announced that fighting had erupted again, and everyone was ordered to evacuate for the second time this year.
More than 500,000 people across Cambodia and Thailand have fled since skirmishes broke out. Trump told reporters he would call the leaders of both countries on Thursday and said he could end the clashes 'pretty quickly'. But in the border areas, few share his confidence. 'If he did have power to sort the conflict there wouldn't be this war right now,' said Patcharee Kotmakti, 45, who left her home when gunfire rang out.
Patcharee fears the fighting could drag on for months, leaving her unable to make ends meet. Many evacuees have no fixed income and depend on daily work. A poll in August found that more than half of Thai respondents believed Thailand should not associate with Cambodia, and almost two-thirds thought Trump's intervention served superpower interests, not peace.
Evacuees are divided on the next steps. Some support the Thai army's aim to crush Cambodia's military capability, while others, like Rinda Metmat, 44, express sympathy for soldiers on both sides. Rangsan Angda is pessimistic: 'It's not going to end no matter how many parties involved... Talking never seems to lead to any solution.'
