New First Army Area chief visits Ban Nong Chan Wednesday night
New First Army Area chief Lt Gen Worayos makes surprise late-night visit to Ban Nong Chan, pledges prudent approach to Thai-Cambodia border tensions.
The newly appointed commander of the First Army Area made a surprise visit to Ban Nong Chan village in Sa Kaeo late on Wednesday night.
Lt Gen Worayos Luangsuwan arrived at Ban Nong Chan in Tambon None Mak Moon, Khok Sung district, at 10 pm on Wednesday, just hours after assuming his post in a ceremony at the First Army Area headquarters in Bangkok.
Worayos did not inform his subordinates about the visit in advance.
He was welcomed by a small group of villagers, several village defence volunteers, and Col Chainarong Kasi, commander of the Aranyaprathet Taskforce.
At the Ban Nong Chan checkpoint, Worayos spoke with district officials and village defence volunteers on duty. He also handed out canned coffee and energy drinks to boost morale among those manning the security checkpoint.
Later, he met with representatives of local villagers, who urged him to expedite efforts to resolve border conflicts with Cambodia. A village representative told him that local people’s ties with Cambodians had soured due to the disputes, and that Thais living along the border no longer hired Cambodian farm workers.
The villagers pledged their support for the army until the disputes were resolved.
Worayos thanked them for their backing but urged patience, stressing that the military had to act with prudence as any reckless move could harm the country.
Although his visit to Sa Kaeo’s border areas had been expected later, no one anticipated his unannounced trip on Wednesday night.
