The Second Army Region has ordered its troops to reduce foot patrols along the Thai-Cambodian border, to reduce the risk posed by anti-personnel landmines allegedly laid by Cambodian forces.
Lt-Gen Boonsin Padklang, commander of the Second Army Region, said today that it is not worth the risk for troops to conduct foot patrols close to the border without proper equipment, such as mine detectors.
Lt-Gen Boonsin Padklang, commander of the Second Army Region
If a patrol is necessary, to prevent border breaches by Cambodian troops, he said he has suggested that his troops to deploy surveillance drones and erect barbed wire fences.
Pointing out that the shared border is about 1,000km long and mostly un-demarcated, Boonsin admitted that it is almost impossible to fence the entire border due to cost, adding that consent is also required from Cambodia.
He said that building a border fence should continue, however, but as permitted by funding.
Commenting on the idea of building a fence along the border, Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said that he would have to wait for the outcome of the Regional Border Committee (RBC) meeting, which is expected to discuss the issues of reopening border crossings and border fencing, among other matters.
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