A female Thai army captain, accompanying the Interim Observer Team on a visit to the Chong An Mah area in Ubon Ratchathani province yesterday, became a viral sensation among social media users, after photos showed her confronting and ordering Cambodian soldiers to leave.
The team’s visit was briefly halted after a group of Cambodian soldiers stationed there tried to block the group, claiming that they had not been informed in advance.
One Cambodian soldier was seen approaching the delegation and claiming that the site was Cambodian territory. He raised his voice and arms, pointing in the opposite direction, apparently trying to make the team retreat.
The soldier backed off after Thai soldiers explained the situation to him.
Images released after the incident showed the confrontation, with a female Thai army captain standing behind a Thai soldier, close to the Cambodian soldier and pointing at him. She ordered told the Cambodian soldier to back off.
Thai netizens praised her bravery. The Thai Armed Forces later revealed that she is Captain Pavichaya Waleesuksan, 29, deputy spokesperson of the Armed Forces.
Pavichaya serves in the Foreign Language Division of the Intelligence Department and is accompanying the team as a translator. She graduated from the Faculty of Humanities at Kasetsart University.
The captain later wrote on her Facebook page that she felt no anger during the incident, adding, “What I thought at that time was only that I would be left behind, as the team was moving forward,” she wrote.
She also thanked all military personnel for their sacrifice and hard work.
