Thailand’s Second Army Region commander has rejected a public appeal by Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen to block the use of F-16 fighter jets along the Thai border.
Speaking after receiving reconnaissance drones for troops stationed near the frontier, General Boonsin Phadklang told Thai outlet Khaosod on August 7 that Thailand will continue using F-16s, which it deems essential to safeguarding its national sovereignty. He said the Thai military would not be swayed by Hun Sen’s recent statement calling on F-16-producing countries to prevent Thailand from deploying the jets to carry out airstrikes inside Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia or Myanmar.
Boonsin added that drones recently received by the army would be distributed swiftly to frontline troops for reconnaissance and border protection. He stressed that Thailand has no plans to target Cambodian leaders Hun Sen or Hun Manet.
Hun Sen made his remarks in a Facebook post on August 6, warning that Thailand had previously used fighter jets bought from the United States and Sweden to conduct airstrikes deep inside Cambodian territory. He urged arms-supplying nations to strictly enforce end-use agreements in order to prevent future strikes across the border.
The former prime minister and current Senate president said Cambodia does not object to the sale of fighter aircraft to Thailand but called on its neighbor not to use them to attack Cambodian, Laotian, Malaysian or Burmese territory.
Fighting broke out along the Cambodia-Thailand border in late July and continued for five days before a ceasefire was brokered on July 28 following an appeal from then United States President Donald Trump.
During the conflict, the Thai military deployed a range of heavy weaponry, including American-made F-16s, Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets, armed drones, rocket launchers, cluster munitions and aircraft dispersing chemical agents. Cambodia did not retaliate with heavy weapons.
The issue gained renewed attention this week when Singapore’s Straits Times reported on August 6 that the Thai cabinet had approved the purchase of four additional JAS 39 Saab Gripen fighter jets from Sweden. The deal is reportedly worth 600 million US dollars and is aimed at modernizing Thailand’s air force and reinforcing its defense capabilities.
