Security tightened after Thai flag vanishes in Chanthaburi
A Thai flag was found missing from a strategic U-shaped border area in Chanthaburi after road access and land reconnection works had been completed.
The Thai flag disappeared from a flagpole in a U-shaped area, a strategically important border zone in Ban Phak Kad, Pong Nam Ron district, Chanthaburi, after local residents successfully built access roads to repair and reconnect the land.
Images of the incident emerged on April 18 after a patrol from the 4th Marine Ranger Mobile Task Force discovered that the Thai flag had disappeared from the flagpole and reported the matter to its superiors. A new Thai flag was then raised immediately.
Captain Prachya Hantiam, commander of the Chanthaburi Marine Task Force, later issued a clarification to the media via the Line application.
He said the patrol had detected the incident and informed its commanding officers straight away. On the same day, the unit moved quickly to raise a new Thai flag in its place to reaffirm its oversight of the area and preserve a symbol of Thailand’s sovereignty.
To prevent a repeat of the incident, the unit has introduced additional measures, including more frequent patrols during both the day and night, the installation of barriers at key locations, checks on access routes in and out of the area, and continued surveillance at vulnerable points.
He added that the current situation remains under control. The U-shaped area in Ban Phak Kad is still fully under Thai control, no clashes or violent incidents have occurred, and the task force is continuing to enforce strict security measures to ensure the safety of people living along the border.
The incident was described as an isolated case that was addressed immediately by raising a new Thai flag and strengthening security in the area. Authorities insisted that the area remains fully under Thai control and that the incident has had no broader impact on national security.
Previously, patrol officers had found signs of irregularities in the same U-shaped area, where the direction of the waterway had apparently been altered. A natural canal that had originally curved in a U shape was believed to have been cut straight by ill-intentioned individuals suspected to be Cambodian, causing nearly 10 rai of Thai land to become cut off.
After the issue was discovered, officials tried to resolve it, but the task proved difficult because machinery could not initially be brought in. Discussions were later held with local leaders and villagers to seek manpower and budget support, particularly to cover fuel costs for the machinery needed to build a road into the U-shaped area.
Once the road had been completed, several excavators were brought in to fill the canal and reconnect the land to its original form. After that, a Thai flagpole was installed to declare that the area was Thai territory.
A similar problem had previously been resolved in another location known as the “Ko Kai” area, named after the Thai letter ก, which lies about one kilometre from Noen Phee base.
Going forward, officials plan to further extend patrol hours during both the day and night and install more concertina wire at high-risk points in the hope of preventing similar incidents in the future.
