Swiss man in Thailand tells of evacuation from conflict zone

Hasty evacuation: Charly Hofmann and his wife had to leave their Thai village in a rush on Friday. Courtesy

After a simmering border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia flared up this week, tens of thousands of people had to flee to safety – including Swiss expat Charly Hofmann, who lives in the border region.

When tensions between Thailand and Cambodia escalated on Thursday, Charly Hofmann still sounded confident on social media. But on Friday morning, when Swissinfo tried to contact the 71-year-old, the situation had changed. “We’re evacuating. Travelling to San Kaeo. I’m the driver. Can’t speak,” Hofmann wrote back.

By midday (Swiss time), we managed to reach him by phone in the Thai city some 80 kilometres away. He and his family were safe. “We’re staying in a gym,” Hofmann says.

Thailand and Cambodia agree to a ceasefire

Thailand and Cambodia agreed on an immediate ceasefire on 28 July. Swiss expatriate Hofmann returned home the day before. “The gym was large and well equipped, but there were no mattresses, just a few rice mats that caused sore bones,” he wrote on social media.

The conflict zone is actually quite far from his home, he explains. But as tensions rose, there had suddenly been shooting just 17 kilometres from where he lives. “The village authorities therefore decided that we had to evacuate,” says the Swiss emigrant.

Hofmann fled in a rush, along with two pick-up trucks loaded with several people, food, clothes and even a motorbike. “In the morning I was Nordic walking; now we’ve left behind our house, 60 cows, and a 20-hectare plot of land with rice fields.”

Hofmann (pictured here in 2016) lives around ten kilometres from the border with Cambodia. Courtesy

Not a popular travel destination

The long-simmering border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia has flared up again, with both sides reporting exchanges of fire – some of them fatal – and tens of thousands of people having to flee their homes. Border crossings have been closed, ambassadors have been recalled, and people have been evacuated.

The conflict zone is not a widely-visited touristic area, reportsExternal link Swiss public broadcaster, SRF. Only rarely do travellers to Thailand head for the province of Surin, around 400 kilometres west of Bangkok. Northwestern Cambodia is also not a classic travel destination.

According to the Swiss foreign ministry, its Travel Admin App shows that around 40 Swiss are currently travelling in Cambodia, and 670 in Thailand.

Hofmann doesn’t know of any other Swiss Abroad who are currently fleeing the conflict. “I’m practically the only foreigner here in the region,” says the Zurich native, who has lived in Thailand since 2011.

The foreign ministry says it is closely monitoring the situation and the tensions between Cambodia and Thailand. Its travel adviceExternal link is thus updated on an ongoing basis; currently, travelling to the border region is not recommended.

‘Hopefully we’ll be home in a few days’

At the centre of the conflict is a border area around ancient temples, which has been disputed for decades. The disagreement has its roots in the colonial era – there have been recurring clashes ever since. Hofmann himself has never experienced anything like it in the past 14 years. “But it’s not the first time for my wife, who grew up here,” he says.

Hofmann expects to be able to return to his home, ten kilometres from the border, in a few days. “Now I’m going to spend the night here in this gym. I’m curious to see how things pan out,” he says.

Returning to Switzerland is however out of the question If the conflict continues much longer, Hofmann says he will go on holiday to Pattaya or Koh Samui until the situation calms down again.

Neither has he been in contact with the Swiss embassy in Bangkok. “But the local authorities know that I have fled with my wife and her family,” he says. As such, Hofmann is acting in line with the recommendations by the Swiss foreign ministry – it advises citizens on site to follow the instructions of local authorities and to stay informed about the situation via the media or travel agencies.

“In emergencies, they can always contact the Swiss embassy in Bangkok or the foreign ministry helpline,” the ministry told Swissinfo by email.

Edited by Giannis Mavris; translated from German by DeepL/dos

The article has been updated to incorporate the ceasefire announcement on July 28.

Swiss in Cambodia and Thailand

Around 490 people are in the register of the Swiss Abroad in Cambodia. According to the foreign ministry, these figures also include family members who do not hold Swiss citizenship. In Thailand, where the same applies, approximately 13,430 people are in the register.