Operations at the Sa Kaeo border hold no personal stakes for Winthai.
In the summer of 2025, intense military operations took place along the Thai-Cambodia border, particularly in the Sa Kaeo province. The clashes, which began around July 24, involved heavy artillery, airstrikes, and ground troop engagements by both sides in contested temple areas like Prasat Ta Muen Thom and Ta Kwai Temple.
The Royal Thai Army spokesperson, Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree, has clarified that during this period, there was no military attack on civilian commercial targets such as casinos or buildings suspected of housing call centers in Poipet, a border town known for these businesses. The spokesperson emphasised that such locations were deliberately spared, partly because of potential shared interests and strategic choices by the military command.
The Army operations were conducted according to government and Royal Thai Army operation plans, and the spokesperson denied any direct involvement with local business interests. However, the broader geopolitical tension, fueled by historical border disputes, nationalist politics, and a political scandal involving phone calls between Thai and Cambodian leaders, complicated ceasefire efforts and diplomatic relations.
The Army designated primary combat target areas, such as in the 1st Army Area, where specific targets impacting Cambodian personnel, military equipment, and military installations located within Thailand's sovereign territory were identified. The use of force or various types of weapons has control levels according to the chain of command, ensuring that military actions adhered to strategic plans and procedures assigned to each unit under the Army's command.
The Army spokesperson also denied allegations that military operations in Sa Kaeo border areas in July 24-28, 2025, involved attacks on casinos or commercial buildings. Secondary combat target areas were designated in the area of the 1st Army Area and Chanthaburi and Trat Border Defense Command (CTBDC).
In summary, the fighting concentrated on military targets and disputed border zones, while commercial establishments like casinos and call centers near the border were reportedly not targeted due to potential shared interests and strategic choices by the military command. The Army's focus on military objectives and its denial of involvement with local business interests aim to reassure the public and maintain the integrity of the military operations.
- The escalating military tension between Thailand and Cambodia in the summer of 2025, despite involving war-and-conflicts, did not extend to international targeted attacks on businesses, such as casinos or call centers along the border, according to the Army spokesperson.
- The Royal Thai Army's operation strategies, including the designation of primary and secondary combat target areas, primarily focused on military objectives, reinforcing the aim to maintain the integrity of politics and policy-and-legislation within the Thai government.
- The Army's intentions to steer clear of commercial establishments like casinos and call centers along the border also reflect an awareness of potential shared interests and strategic choices, addressing general-news and crime-and-justice concerns within the broader context of the conflict.
