BANGKOK - A total of 48,192 villagers from Thailand's two border provinces, Surin and Buri Ram, have been evacuated since the latest round of Thai-Cambodian border clashes erupted, an Thai official said on Friday.

Wibul Sanguanpong, director-general of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, said 40,377 villagers from Surin had been evacuated to 35 shelters and 7,815 villagers from Buri Ram had been evacuated to 9 shelters.

Fighting between Thai and Cambodian troops continued on Thursday night only a few hours after the two sides agreed to a ceasefire.

The fighting, the eighth straight day since April 22, has left at least seven Thai soldiers dead and more than 70 injured.

Both sides blamed each other for shooting first.