The Surin Provincial Public Health Office on Friday announced preparedness measures in response to escalating tensions along the Thai-Cambodian border to ensure continued healthcare services for the public.
According to Dr Yuthana Wanphoklang, the office chief, Phanom Dong Rak and Kap Choeng hospitals—both located near the border—have been placed on heightened alert. Plans are in place to convert them into military field hospitals if conflict intensifies.


Yuthana said military-led evacuation drills have already been conducted. Should the handover take place, medical personnel from both hospitals and all sub-district health promotion hospitals will withdraw and report to designated Ministry of Public Health facilities or temporary shelters to continue delivering services.


In the event of mass evacuation, Surin Province estimates that approximately 144,300 people may need to be relocated. Temporary shelters and medical units have been prepared, with Medical Emergency Response Teams (MERT) from Surin and Health Region 9 ready to support operations.

If existing hospitals become overwhelmed, additional field hospitals will be established. Current inpatients will be referred to inner hospitals such as Prasat, Surin, Sangkha, Tha Tum, and Rattanaburi. Less severe cases will be distributed among smaller community hospitals.


“Local hospitals and health units will continue to provide care. If tensions escalate, we are ready to deploy a Mobile Crisis Assessment and Treatment Team (MCATT),” Yuthana said.


He added that the current emergency level remains at “Alert,” and should armed conflict break out, inpatient evacuations will proceed immediately according to pre-established plans.

Regarding a potential ban on Cambodian nationals seeking treatment in Thailand, Yuthana stated that the impact would be minimal. Surin receives around 9,000–10,000 Cambodian patients annually, generating approximately 49–50 million baht in medical service income, with about 1 million baht in outstanding payments.


“Most Cambodians receiving treatment here are legally documented, entering with passports or border passes. Regardless of their documentation status, we uphold humanitarian principles in providing care,” he said.


Yuthana also outlined the five-tier emergency classification for conflict scenarios:


Watch Mode – Monitoring normal border conditions


Alert Mode – Border tensions begin
Emergency Level 1 – Armed conflict using light weapons
Emergency Level 2 – Use of heavy weapons, evacuation in one district
Emergency Level 3 – Heavy weapons and evacuation in four districts or martial law declared

Surin border hospitals on alert amid Thai-Cambodian tensions, evacuation and field hospital plans in place