Lt Gen Boonsin warns no retreat from reclaimed border area
Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang insists Thai troops will not withdraw from reclaimed border areas, saying whoever orders retreat must take full responsibility
Royal Thai Army Headquarters (October 21): Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang, adviser to the Army Commander-in-Chief and former Second Army Region Commander, commented on the recent criticism directed at Lt Gen Weerayut Raksilp, the current Second Army Region Commander, regarding the ongoing Thai–Cambodian border tensions.
Lt Gen Boonsin said he had warned Lt Gen Weerayut from the outset that such criticism would arise because people were accustomed to the previous commander’s visibility. “The new commander isn’t much of a talker — he knows that himself,” Lt Gen Boonsin said. “But I can confirm he understands the situation fully. We worked together at the front lines during the fighting, though you rarely saw him in the media — that was mostly me. He’s been in the post for less than a month, so he needs time. Sometimes his explanations are broad, and people misinterpret them. He’s been trying to visit the area continuously, and I’ve given him my support. Some issues require guidance from higher levels — they aren’t just military matters but also involve security, social, political, and economic implications.”
On JBC and RBC meetings
Lt Gen Boonsin also reiterated his earlier stance against holding the Thailand–Cambodia Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meeting at this stage. He said that discussions under the Regional Border Committee (RBC) framework, overseen by the Second Army Region, had not yielded results because “the situation remains tense.”
“Talking now would be pointless,” Lt Gen Boonsin said. “The JBC is a government and Foreign Ministry matter involving the Subcommittee on Boundary Demarcation and the Royal Thai Survey Department. The Foreign Ministry will decide how to handle those talks. But as for the RBC, as long as tensions remain high, discussions won’t help — we must wait for a clear policy from Cambodia’s top leadership.”
On Thai–Cambodian GBC and border claims
Asked whether there should be additional proposals beyond the four already agreed at the General Border Committee (GBC) meeting, Lt Gen Boonsin said he had no further recommendations, but urged Cambodian leaders to act sincerely.
When questioned about whether Thailand should ask Cambodia to withdraw its claim regarding “three temples and one disputed area” from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Lt Gen Boonsin said that had already been part of ongoing discussions.
“This ‘three temples, one area’ issue is what causes clashes,” he said. “We’ve been here for a long time, and suddenly they say it belongs to Cambodia. They send troops and provoke incidents — it’s a story even a child can see through.”
Lt Gen Boonsin added, “They want us to fight so they can accuse us of aggression and bring the matter to the ICJ. But we were prepared — we refused to accept the ICJ’s jurisdiction, so Cambodia couldn’t file the case. That’s why things are as they are. If we want to restore relations, both sides must return to their original positions. Thai soldiers must stay where they are — no more retreating. Anyone who orders a withdrawal will have to answer to the Thai people.”
