BANGKOK — Thailand’s security agencies have prepared contingency plans for all possible scenarios along the Thai-Cambodian border, a senior military official said, stressing that the armed forces remain ready to respond while adhering to international law.
Air Chief Marshal Prapas Sornchaidee, assistant commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Air Force and director of the Joint Information Centre (JIC) on the Thai-Cambodian border situation, said on 20 June that security agencies had developed and regularly rehearsed response plans covering military operations, civilian protection and border management.
He said the Thai military remained prepared at all times in terms of personnel, equipment, intelligence, surveillance and inter-service cooperation.
Thailand remains committed to peaceful means and international law, Prapas said. However, as a sovereign state, Thailand has the legitimate right to self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter if its sovereignty, territorial integrity or public safety is threatened.
“If necessary, the Thai military is ready to carry out its duties to the fullest extent within the framework of the law, the principles of necessity and proportionality, and relevant international law,” he said.
Prapas added that security agencies were monitoring the border situation around the clock and had measures in place to address any contingency, with the primary objective of preserving peace while safeguarding national sovereignty and public safety.
Addressing questions about military readiness during the rainy season, he said both F-16 and Gripen fighter jets remain fully capable of carrying out missions in wet weather. While severe weather conditions may slightly reduce operational efficiency and impose additional flight-safety limitations, rain does not automatically render aircraft or weapons systems unusable.
