Soldiers to ‘keep order’ during activist’s visit to controversial border casino
The Second Army Region responsible for the Northeast said on Tuesday it would send security forces to “keep order” during a visit by anti-corruption activist Veera Somkwamkid to a controversial new casino allegedly located in territory straddling the Thai and Cambodian borders.
Veera plans to take a group of the media to visit the site on Wednesday to prove whether or not the Cambodian casino is actually in an overlapping area.
He had questioned in previous Facebook posts why the military had allowed this to happen.
Maj-General Suthin Benjavilankul, the Region’s spokesman, said the troops would be sent to prevent the problem arising between Thailand and Cambodia.
Suthin said military officers from the two countries had actually jointly surveyed the territory and had the same understanding.
The senior officer said that, based on a Thai map with a ratio of 1:50,000, it is clear that the casino is not in Thai territory or even overlapping.
Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai also insisted on Tuesday that the casino near Burirum province is not in an overlapping area, nor in Thailand.
He said concerned authorities had academic proof, including maps, to prove the point.
Don said he hoped Veera would cancel the site visit as a similar trip to examine overlapping territory between Thailand and Cambodia near Phrea Vihear caused problems.
Asked whether Veera’s trip would hurt the relationship between the two countries, Don said it was a case of “wait and see”.