SA KAEO – A 26-year-old Chinese man lost his leg after stepping on a landmine while attempting to illegally enter Thailand through a contested border area in Sa Kaeo province early Saturday morning. The incident occurred in the forested zone near Ban Nong Chan, a region known for persistent border tensions.

ASEAN Observers Confirm New Landmines Planted on Thai-Cambodian Border

According to the Burapha Task Force, border patrol officials heard an explosion at approximately 5:50 a.m. from a wooded area about 90 meters away from Sri Phen Road along the Thai-Cambodian frontier. Thai authorities initially deployed a drone to assess the situation, locating a severely injured man calling for help in English. The Humanitarian Mine Action unit was subsequently dispatched to the scene and, with support from patrol personnel, provided critical assistance.

The injured individual was identified via a passport as Shi Jingui, from China’s Yunnan province. The First Army Area confirmed he was believed to have been crossing into Thailand illegally. The Chinese Embassy in Bangkok later issued a statement indicating that Shi was in stable condition while receiving treatment at Khoksung Hospital. The embassy pledged continued coordination with Thai authorities and the hospital to provide necessary consular assistance.

The site of the incident has been a major flashpoint in border disputes, including a five-day armed conflict in July, and remains an active area for mine clearance operations by Thai authorities. Royal Thai Army spokesman Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree stated that the case will be further investigated by Sa Kaeo Immigration Police, noting that the victim may have been linked to illegal cyber-scam networks.

A Chinese man has been injured in a landmine explosion, as he tried to sneak across the border from Cambodia into Thailand via Ban Nong Chan in Khok Sung district of Sa Kaeo this morning.

The victim has been identified as Shi Jingui, a 25-year-old native of Yunnan province.… pic.twitter.com/66gAeUj6H0

— Thai PBS World (@ThaiPBSWorld) November 29, 2025

Maj Gen Winthai emphasized that the incident underscores the ongoing threat posed by landmines planted by Cambodian troops along the border. Since mid-July, eighteen Thai soldiers have been injured by landmines in the area, seven of whom suffered limb amputations. The type of mine involved in Saturday’s explosion is being examined to determine whether it was newly planted.

Thai Army Accuses Cambodia of Laying New Landmines in Border Escalation

The spokesman further criticized Cambodia for failing to cooperate in joint clearance efforts, despite being a signatory to the Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the use of anti-personnel mines. “This incident underscored the brutality of landmines, which harm both military personnel and civilians, regardless of nationality, and highlighted Cambodia’s lack of accountability in resolving the issue,” Maj Gen Winthai said. He added that the Thai army expects mounting evidence of such incidents to lead to consequences for Cambodia’s violent actions.

-Thailand News (TN)