From rifles to watering cans: Soldiers look after animals and plants left by evacuees

Soldiers from the First Army Region’s Ta Praya Task Force have shown a lighter side of the border tensions after being deployed to feed dogs, cats and cattle, and to water gardens for residents of Ta Praya district in Sa Kaeo who were evacuated to shelters amid tensions with Cambodia.

Photos and video clips released by the command showing the troops carrying out their new assignment went viral, drawing widespread appreciation. Many media outlets subsequently published the images, attracting a large number of positive comments.

Some commenters said the soldiers looked “cute” while performing the tasks in full battle gear, including helmets, bulletproof vests and masks. Others, however, remarked that the way they watered the vegetables suggested they were “amateurs” at the job.

Border tensions along the Sa Kaeo–Poipet border with Cambodia have continued for several days, prompting the military to order the evacuation of residents, who were forced to leave their farm animals, pets and crops untended.