Thai forces will not pull back or remove fencing, says outgoing commander

The Thai military will maintain the barbed wire fencing it has erected at several sites along the border with Cambodia and will not remove it, as demanded by Phnom Penh, outgoing Second Army Region Commander Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang said yesterday.

Cambodia has protested the installation of the barbed wire, but Thailand insists that the barriers are built on its own territory.

Speaking during a special lecture, Lt Gen Boonsin said, “If anyone touches the fence, they must be prepared. I will regard it as touching Thai sovereignty. If you want to know what will happen, just try. The fences under my command will remain there forever.”

As for Ta Muen Thom Temple, Boonsin said direct access from Cambodia is permanently closed. To enter, Cambodians must use a visa and a passport, he stressed.

He added that modern warfare is more intense than in the past and that, once Thai forces secure territory, they will not withdraw or dismantle defensive structures.

He also recounted the origins of the Thai-Cambodian border fighting in July, which began near Ta Muen Thom Temple in Surin province and escalated into four nights and five days of fatal clashes.

He said Cambodia opened fire on Thai troops, after he had ordered the closure of the temple on May 24th out of safety concerns for Thai tourists following provocative actions by the Cambodian side. The Thai army seized the site, and some others, just hours before a ceasefire took effect on July 28.

If the clashes had extended beyond the five-day standoff, Boonsin said, Thai forces would have seized more areas, which they regard as Thai territory which has been encroached upon by Cambodia.

He referred to Ta Kwai Temple, which the Thai side could not fully secure during the fighting and should be reclaimed in the future.

Boonsin confirmed that a ceasefire is currently in place, though Cambodia continues to employ its “usual tactic” of laying mines.

Lt Gen Boonsin, who will retire this month after one year as Second Army Region Commander, described his tenure was “worthwhile.”

After retirement, he said he will serve as an advisor to the Army Commander-in-Chief, while continuing outreach work on security issues, adding “I have no intention of entering politics, despite being approached.”

On the use of force, he explained that battlefield decisions are not subject to political interference. If a target poses an extreme risk, the Army Commander-in-Chief must approve action but, in less critical situations, regional commanders can act immediately.

“If weapons are needed, they must be used, including fighter jets. They are not just for display on Children’s Day,” he quipped.