Concrete Border Wall Rises in Pong Nam Ron, Chanthaburi

Thai military engineers have completed roughly 1km of a planned 8.4km reinforced-concrete wall in Pong Nam Ron district, Chanthaburi province, near the Ban Pakkat crossing into Cambodia's Pailin province. The 3.6-metre barrier combines reinforced concrete panels with galvanized steel mesh and barbed wire. Royal Thai Army officer Captain Prachya Hantiem said the wall is meant to curb smuggling of people and goods, while local officials say it also cuts through farmland long used for informal cross-border movement. Village chief Itchira Aranchaiyasiri said residents welcome the added security even as historical cross-border access patterns are disrupted.