PMN-2 mine tears off part of Thai soldier Chanarong Wongchana’s right leg during a Chong An Ma clearance mission. He becomes the 15th Thai soldier to lose a foot since 2025 hostilities flared. The army sealed the site and is preparing new mine checks.
A Thai soldier lost part of his right leg after stepping on a PMN-2 landmine at the tense Cambodian border on Monday. Sergeant Major Chanarong Wongchana was clearing dangerous ground at Chong An Ma after Thai forces pushed Cambodian troops from the area. The blast also left him with severe shrapnel wounds to his right hand and body. However, he remained conscious and was later reported stable. The army immediately halted operations, secured the minefield and ordered full medical and welfare support. Meanwhile, specialist teams are preparing further inspections amid fears that more concealed mines remain across old Cambodian positions.
A Thai soldier lost part of his right leg after stepping on a PMN-2 landmine near Cambodia on Monday. The blast struck during a mine clearance mission at Chong An Ma in Ubon Ratchathani Province. Sergeant Major Chanarong Wongchana also suffered severe shrapnel wounds to his right hand and body. However, he remained conscious as fellow personnel rushed him from the minefield.
He is the fifteenth Thai soldier to lose a foot since hostilities flared up in 2025.
The explosion occurred at approximately 11.50 am on August 17. At the time, a National Mine Action Centre (TMAC) team was conducting an ordnance disposal operation. Sergeant Major Chanarong serves with the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment. He was working with the TMAC unit under Royal Thai Army Headquarters when the mine detonated.
Initial reports said the PMN-2 blast severed his lower right leg below the knee. In addition, fragments caused severe wounds to his right hand and other parts of his body. Despite the scale of his injuries, he remained conscious immediately after the explosion. His unit then halted the operation and began an emergency evacuation.
Army evacuates wounded soldier. Mine clearance followed earlier fighting at Chong An Ma
In response, personnel secured the surrounding ground before moving Sergeant Major Chanarong from the hazardous area. He was rushed to Nam Yuen Hospital in Si Wichian Subdistrict, Nam Yuen District. Later, arrangements were made for further treatment at Sapphasitthiprasong Camp Hospital. The Royal Thai Army subsequently reported that he remained conscious and stable.
Major General Winthai Suvari, spokesperson for the Royal Thai Army, confirmed the incident on August 17. He said TMAC personnel had been clearing landmines around Chong An Ma when the soldier was injured. Notably, the operation followed earlier fighting for control of the border position.
According to Major General Winthai, Cambodian forces had previously encroached upon the area and established a base there. Thai forces later pushed those troops from the position during a conflict. Afterwards, the recovered ground was cordoned off because landmines remained a serious danger.
As part of this, TMAC specialists were deployed to inspect the former Cambodian position. Their mission involved locating and clearing mines before the area could be considered safe. Sergeant Major Chanarong was taking part in that operation when he encountered the PMN-2 mine.
PMN-2 blast wounds soldier as army halts operations and orders full medical care and welfare support
The device detonated as personnel worked through the hazardous ground. Consequently, the blast caused devastating injuries below Sergeant Major Chanarong’s right knee. Shrapnel also struck his right hand and caused additional wounds across his body. Yet he remained conscious while colleagues responded to the emergency.
Separately, the unit immediately suspended further operations around the blast site. Personnel secured the location because additional mines could remain beneath the surrounding ground. They then concentrated on removing the wounded soldier without exposing more personnel to danger.
Sergeant Major Chanarong was first transported to Nam Yuen Hospital for urgent treatment. From there, military officials arranged his transfer for continued care at Sapphasitthiprasong Camp Hospital. Importantly, the army described his condition as stable following the emergency evacuation.
Meanwhile, army commanders ordered relevant units to provide full support for the wounded soldier. The instructions covered both medical treatment and welfare assistance. Major General Winthai also said the Royal Thai Army expressed its condolences following the incident.
Mine clearance teams face concealed PMN-2 threat across hazardous ground after earlier border fighting
The blast occurred inside an area already classified as hazardous after the earlier fighting. Cambodian forces had established a position there before being pushed out by Thai troops. Subsequently, Thai forces restricted access while specialist teams examined the recovered ground.
In parallel, TMAC personnel were tasked with removing landmines and other dangerous ordnance from the site. The clearance operation required teams to move through terrain where mines could remain concealed. Monday’s blast occurred during that work rather than during routine troop movement.
The PMN-2 mine caused the most serious injury to Sergeant Major Chanarong’s lower right leg. Reports from the scene said the blast resulted in the loss of his leg below the knee. Furthermore, fragments caused severe damage to his right hand and other wounds.
Even so, the soldier remained conscious after the detonation. Fellow personnel immediately stopped their clearance work and began removing him from the minefield. At the same time, other team members secured the area against another possible mine strike.
Army reassesses minefield danger as teams prepare further inspections of former Cambodian position
The incident also forced an immediate reassessment of operations at the location. Further minefield inspections were being prepared before personnel could safely continue working there. The area remained secured following Sergeant Major Chanarong’s evacuation.
On another front, officials were preparing to examine the surrounding minefield for additional threats. The inspections were intended to prevent further harm to personnel and civilians entering the area. Details of those checks were expected from the relevant agencies later.
The Royal Thai Army’s account also provided the background to the clearance mission. Cambodian troops had previously occupied the Chong An Ma position, according to Major General Winthai. Thai forces then drove them from the area during fighting.
Following that action, troops did not immediately reopen the ground. Instead, they cordoned it off and classified the site as dangerous. TMAC personnel were subsequently brought in to identify and remove mines from the former position.
Against that backdrop, Sergeant Major Chanarong joined the August 17 clearance operation. His team was conducting ordnance disposal work when he stepped on the PMN-2. The mine detonated during the mission, inflicting severe injuries within seconds.
Soldier remains conscious after mine strike as army secures blast site and prepares further checks
Immediately afterwards, the operation stopped. The priority shifted to evacuating the soldier and securing the surrounding minefield. Personnel moved him from the site while he remained conscious despite the serious wounds.
Thereafter, he was taken urgently to Nam Yuen Hospital. Medical teams treated the damage to his lower right leg, right hand and other wounds. Military officials then prepared his transfer to Sapphasitthiprasong Camp Hospital for further care.
Crucially, the army later said Sergeant Major Chanarong was conscious and in stable condition. Commanders also ordered responsible units to provide the best available care. Full welfare support was directed towards the injured soldier following the mine strike.
At the border site, clearance work faced a separate challenge following the blast. The PMN-2 remained hidden until Sergeant Major Chanarong stepped on it. Therefore, personnel secured the location before preparing further inspections of the minefield.
TMAC teams prepare new inspections as wounded soldier remains stable under military medical care
The operation had been designed to remove precisely such threats from the recovered territory. TMAC specialists were inspecting ground previously occupied by Cambodian forces. Monday’s incident occurred while that hazardous work was still underway.
In the aftermath, access remained controlled while military teams prepared their next inspections. The immediate operation had already been suspended following the detonation. Further checks would focus on dangerous ground surrounding the location of the blast.
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For now, Sergeant Major Chanarong remains under military medical care after surviving the mine strike. He lost part of his lower right leg and suffered serious shrapnel wounds. Nevertheless, the army reported him conscious and stable following his evacuation.
At Chong An Ma, the blast left mine clearance teams with further ground to inspect. The area remains secured following the earlier fighting and Monday’s PMN-2 detonation. Further details on the soldier’s condition and minefield inspections will be reported by the relevant agencies.
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