Thread: Cambodia vs. Thai....WAR?

It's on the Thai news that all roads to Cambodia are now closed, my misses just told me this before anyone starts asking for links.

Fighting breaks out

Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat urged Thai nationals in Cambodia to leave as soon as possible Wednesday after a gun-battle between troops along the disputed border broke out in the afternoon.

"Thai businessmen who have no need to be in Cambodia now, please rush back to Thailand," Sompong told reporters.

"We have our evacuation plan ready," he added.

His statement came after the troops reportedly exchanged gun fire for about 10 minutes at Kantalak district, Si Sa Ket province at around 2.30pm.

Cambodia’s Preah Vihear governor Prieb Tan claimed that Thailand started shooting at the Cambodian army first. Thai army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd, meanwhile, did not rush to any conclusion. He said the army was verifying information and would hold a press conference on the matter.

On Tuesday, Col Sansern reiterated that Thailand will not launch an offensive first, but if Cambodia encroaches into Thailand’s territory, the Thai army is ready to confront any incident to protect the country’s sovereignty.

Meanwhile, Thailand's air force has the fighter jets ready in case violence erupts further.

"Normally we have fighter jets on stand-by at various regional headquarters ready for operation within five minutes, but under the current circumstances we have increased our readiness," Group Captain Montol Suchookorn told AFP. "I do hope the use of force is the last resort,"

bangkokpost.net

English Noodles is in the border area today I believe.

Wed Oct 15, 4:20 AM ET


Thai soldiers set-up artillery guns on the Thai-Cambodian border on October 15. Thai and Cambodian troops exchanged gunfire Wednesday along their border, a Cambodia army commander said, as a row over a disputed patch of land appeared to be escalating.
(AFP)

news.yahoo.com


....................................



Wed Oct 15, 1:22 AM ET


A Cambodia soldier guards the Sekha Kirisvarak pagoda near the disputed 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh, October 15, 2008. Thailand sent more soldiers to a disputed stretch of the Cambodian border near the temple on Tuesday, a Thai general said, hours after a Cambodian general said Thai troops had pulled back.
REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea (CAMBODIA)

news.yahoo.com

the photographer of the second pic is the guy quoted in the news report .

.

have the Thais surrendered yet?

"Fighting is going on," said Maj. Prum Saroeun, a Cambodian police official.

"Soldiers in the field say that Thai troops fired first and our troops fired back."

Thailand's army spokesman Sansern Kaewkumnerd said Cambodian troops fired the first shot.

Fighting breaks out at Thai-Cambodia border - washingtonpost.com

Originally Posted by Mid

Meanwhile, Thailand's air force has the fighter jets ready in case violence erupts further.

Thai and Cambodian troops exchange fire at disputed border area



SI SA KET, Oct 15 (TNA) - Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged gunfire on Wednesday afternoon at about 3pm on the border area near Preah Vihear temple.

According to a TNA reporter observing with police and other government personnel at Phu Makhua, about one kilometre west of Preah Vihear, reported hearing machine gunfire from the firefight.

No casualties were reported at the border, but Thai troop reinforcements quickly arrived at the clash site. Local authorities warned residents in Kataralak district’s border areas to brace for immediate evacuation.

The fighting occurred one day after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen announced an ultimatum to Thailand to withdraw its troops from a 4.6 square kilometre disputed area near the ancient Preah Vihear temple by midday Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat said that although no violence has been reported against Thai nationals, the ministry advises Thai citizens who have no need to stay to leave Cambodia. Thailand is ready to evacuate Thais to return home immediately. (TNA)

enews.mcot.net

^^



are those the Saab Viggen 37E Fighter jet the Thai's bought

Thailand to protest Cambodia over exchange of gunfires ; FM
October 15, 2008 : Last updated 04:12 pm

Foreign Ministry will summon Cambodia's charge d' affairs to the ministry to protest after Cambodia's troops opened fires at Thai troops near the disputed area near Preah Vihear Temple.

Ministry's spokesman Tharit Jarungwat said the ministry will submit a protest note to Cambodian envoy, Uk Sophon, at about 6pm.

nationmultimedia.com

Boycott Thai products!

Show solidarity with Cambodia against this act of Thai aggression!

Boycott Thailand!

Two Thai troops injured in a clash with Cambodia
October 15, 2008 : Last updated 04:40 pm

Two Thai troops were injured during a clash with Cambodian troops along Thai-Cambodia border on Wednesday, Army spokesman Sansern Kaeowkamnerd said.

Both suffered from sharpnels of explosives and were rushed to a hospital in Si Sa Kaet province.

nationmultimedia.com

Politically though Thailand is making a huge mistake and will be seen as the bad guys in the eyes of the world. They should have backed off.

Both the Nation and Bangkok post have lied and twisted the facts over Preah Vihear all because the idiotic PAD is using the temple to stir the hearts and minds of the Thai in order to get support.

TodayDepartment of Information director-general and Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Veerasak Futrakul spent about 45 minutes to clarify the Thai-Cambodian border dispute to eight Asean ambassadors to Thailand.

Cambodia absent at Asean diplomats' briefing

According to Mr Tharit, the permanent secretary explained the incident when two Thai soldiers were wounded and had legs amputated after stepping on a landmine in Thai territory near Preah Vihear temple on Oct 3.

After inspection, the landmine was found to be a Russian-made PMN2 landmine. The Thai government claimed that the country never used this type of landmine before and it was recently planted.

Mr Tharit and Foreign Affairs Veerasak Futrakul are talking through their hat. This mine is one of the most common, particularly in Cambodia.
PMN-2 Mine

So far, I think Cambodia 3 Thailand 0


I wonder if Paul Smitherson is at the border giving advice

good question , is it the same two ?

not the way I was reading it but I've been wrong before ..............

I have not had a problem with the reports so far.

I understood it as saying that Thailand had never bought any PMN2's so they couldn't have laid them.
I think they are saying that the Cambo army has laid mines on Thai soil

that's one way of reading it , problem is of course where is Thai and where is Cambodian ?

Mr Tharit asserted Thai soldiers did not start the shooting, but the gunfight was acted in self-defence, as stated in Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations (UN).

As for the evacuation plan for the Thais living along the Cambodian border, he said his ministry already coordinated with Thai Airways (THAI) to bring them back to Thailand, and three THAI flights were available to the neighbouring country.

Approximately 1,000 Thai people lived in Phanom Penh and about 400 to 500 Thais were in Siem Reap.

Meanwhile, both sides accused one another for inciting the brief gunfight on Wednesday.

Four Thai soldiers were wounded and one Cambodian soldier was killed in the gunfight, according to army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd.

Bangkok Post | Breaking News | Govt to send objection letter to Cambodia after gunfight

They were injured in one of two clashes with Cambodia at Pa Mo I Daeng in Si Sa Ket province. Another clash Phu Ma Khur caused no casualty.

The Nation: Thailand's top English news website

and it's now four Thai's injured and one Cambodian killed .

Originally Posted by Thetyim

I have not had a problem with the reports so far.

I understood it as saying that Thailand had never bought any PMN2's so they couldn't have laid them.
I think they are saying that the Cambo army has laid mines on Thai soil

Place is full of old mines.

In the past, Thai soldiers laid defensive minefields along the Thai-Cambodian border to prevent infiltration by Vietnamese troops. Vietnamese forces established a heavily mined perimeter (K-5), and Cambodian and Khmer Rouge forces are believed to have laid mines on what is now territory claimed by Thailand.1[9] The most common mines used in Thailand were Soviet PMN-2, POMZ-1, and POMZ-2 mines, as well as Chinese Type 72 and U.S. M-18A1.2[0] The Royal Thai Army states that most, but not all, of its mines were documented, and that when it found mines laid by others, the area would be marked with warning signs.2[1] Military sources have said that some refugees entering Thailand laid mines for self-defense and protection from external armies.2[2]
THAILAND, Landmine Monitor Report 1999

Originally Posted by gjbkk

After inspection, the landmine was found to be a Russian-made PMN2 landmine. The Thai government claimed that the country never used this type of landmine before and it was recently planted.

Sound of gunshots heard along Thai-Cambodia border

By The Nation

Sound of several gunshots were heard near the disputed area near the ancient Preah Vihear temple on the ThaiCambodia border in Si Sa Ket province ...................

Despite the warnings, people in provinces along the ThaiCambodia border still flocked to give foods to monks on Wednesday in a ceremony to mark the Buddhist Lent which fall on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, AFP reported that ten Cambodian soldiers surrendered to Thai troops amid sporadic gunfire.

An AFP photographer observed the 10 soldiers stationed at a pagoda in disputed territory near ancient Preah Vihear temple raise their hands in surrender to Thai troops, as gunfire could be heard in the area.




It will be interesting to see how the Thai press will handle this and how PAD will view it.

However, it's going to cause absolute outrage in Cambodia.


Cambodia 3 Thailand 1


Anybody have thoughs this could be all staged to unite the Thais. A cunning plan by Khun Thaksin to keep his sister in power.

Just as well the junta raised military spending by a billion US$.

Originally Posted by Thetyim

I have not had a problem with the reports so far.

I understood it as saying that Thailand had never bought any PMN2's so they couldn't have laid them.
I think they are saying that the Cambo army has laid mines on Thai soil

Must've been under Thai noses then, seeing as it's been a militarily sensitive area for quite a while. Anyway how would the Thais know what they bought from China?

BANGKOK, Oct 15 (TNA) - Wednesday’s firefight between Thai and Cambodian soldiers has stopped, a senior Cambodian official said, while a Thai army spokesman reported that one Cambodian soldier was killed and five Thai soldiers were wounded.

MCOT English News : Fighting stops, one Cambodian soldier killed, 5 Thais injured