Students in parts of Thailand's border belt with Cambodia are back at their desks this week after Bangkok and Phnom Penh reached a ceasefire in late July.
At a school in Ubon Ratchathani province, only about 70 kilometers from the Thai-Cambodian border, students returned to their classrooms for the first time since hostilities erupted on July 24.
"The area where the school is located is currently safe, so classes have resumed as normal," said the school's principal Krisada.
During the recent clashes, some of the school's buildings were turned into an emergency shelter. Among the evacuees are children from other districts who are now watching their friends return to school while they remain in the camp.
"I saw my friends go back to school. I want to go back to school too. I hope the border situation calms down quickly so I can attend class again," said Lasika, a student.
Authorities say schools within 40 kilometers of the border are still closed. According to Thailand's Office of the Basic Education Commission, more than 900 campuses in Surin, Sisaket and Buriram provinces remain shut. For students still living in temporary shelters, online lessons will be provided until it is safe to reopen their own schools.
Some Thai schools near Cambodian border reopen as ceasefire takes hold
