ISOC honours two Thai soldiers who died in Thailand–Cambodia border clashes

On Friday, December 12, 2025, the spokesperson team of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) posted a message on Facebook expressing condolences and mourning the deaths of two Thai soldiers — Sgt Pachara Yaemtaeng-on and SM1 Wuttajak Thothong.

Pachara, special forces soldier

Pachara Yaemtaeng-on served with the 2nd Special Forces Battalion, 1st Special Forces Regiment — known as the “Pa Wai Special Forces” — based in Lopburi. He was deployed on field operations with the Second Army Area’s combat unit, serving as a field radio operator, a critical role for communications in high-risk combat conditions.

ISOC said he was killed during fighting at Hill 677 in the Chong An Ma battle area in Na Yia subdistrict, Nam Yuen district, Ubon Ratchathani, after an explosion caused by the opposing side struck while he was carrying out his duties.

Even in his final moments, Pachara continued to hold his position, reaffirming his pledge that “every square inch of Thailand must be safe from invasion”. ISOC said his actions reflected not only sacrifice, but also an example for Thai soldiers to follow.

“Sergeant J”, a frontline soldier on the eastern border

SM1 Wuttajak Thothong, known as “Sergeant J”, was described by ISOC as the 11th serviceman to die in the fighting.

ISOC said he did not die from combat injuries, but from a flare-up of an underlying medical condition linked to the intense strain of frontline duty during border-security operations in Sa Kaeo province on Thailand’s eastern frontier.

He was first admitted to a local hospital on November 16 after his symptoms worsened while on mission, before being transferred to Phramongkutklao Hospital in Bangkok for further treatment. His condition later deteriorated, and he died peacefully on December 11.

Although he did not fall on the battlefield, ISOC said his relentless service under harsh conditions — sacrificing comfort and pushing his body to the limit until it led to illness and death — meant he should be regarded as having “died in the line of duty” and honoured as a brave soldier who fully carried out the mission to defend Thailand’s sovereignty.

ISOC expressed its deepest condolences over the deaths of Pachara and Wuttajak, and extended support to the Thothong family and to all special forces personnel still serving on the frontline.