Navy chief says forces ready as Cambodia moves troops near Trat
Thai Navy monitors Cambodian troop movements near Trat, while the Army says reports of Cambodian prisoners on border duty remain unconfirmed and urges the public not to panic
Navy watches movements near Trat
Adm Pairote Fuangchan, commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Navy, said the Navy was also monitoring Cambodian military movements near the border in Trat province.
He said naval forces had continued to prepare and conduct regular drills to deal with both security-related incidents and natural disasters, especially in border and coastal areas requiring close surveillance.
Adm Pairote said the Navy remained ready for all situations, including weapons drills, public assistance operations and evacuation exercises.
He also stressed that border areas were being closely guarded through patrols, observation and force deployments.
“I would like to praise and encourage people in Chanthaburi and Trat provinces for their excellent cooperation with the authorities,” he said.
He said public participation in drills was an important part of emergency preparedness, as it helped residents understand what they should do if a crisis occurs.
Adm Pairote added that Navy commanders at all levels were closely looking after personnel and regularly visiting frontline units to speak with officers and boost morale.
Evacuation and disaster drills held in Trat
Adm Pairote and Adm Suchart Thampitakwet, deputy commander-in-chief of the Navy and director of the 2026 naval exercise, observed an evacuation and disaster-relief drill in Khlong Yai district, Trat province.
The drill, held under the 2026 Royal Thai Navy Exercise, known as RTN 69, tested readiness in personnel deployment, command systems and coordination with relevant agencies.
The exercise was designed to prepare authorities for both security threats and disaster situations in border communities.
Col Richa Suksuwanon, deputy spokesperson for the Royal Thai Army, said on May 22 that border defence units had so far received no reports of Cambodian prisoners being deployed for duties along the Thai-Cambodian border.
He said current information pointed only to reports inside Cambodia about the transfer of prisoners between prisons, not their deployment in areas near Thailand.
However, Col Richa said it remained possible that Cambodia could carry out such activities within its own territory in the future. Thai Army units in border areas were therefore continuing to monitor the situation closely.
He urged the public not to be alarmed, saying border defence forces already had measures and contingency plans in place to respond to developments in line with established procedures.
