Rear Adm Surasant Kongsiri, spokesman for the Ministry of Defence, said rockets, mortar rounds and kamikaze drones were all being used by Cambodia against Thai military positions and personnel, reports the Bangkok Post.
Heavily attacked targets included Chong Bok and Chong An Ma areas in the northeastern province of Ubon Ratchathani, he said at a daily media briefing yesterday (Dec 11).
Col Richa Suksuwanont, deputy spokesman for the Royal Thai Army, said Cambodia was using many drones against Thai soldiers who had to leave their bunkers in attempts to secure Thai territory earlier encroached on by Cambodians.
Capt Nara Khunthothom, assistant spokesman for the Royal Thai Navy, said Ban Chamrak village in the eastern province of Trat was facing a threat from drones, and military personnel there had covered their bases with donated nets to block the unmanned attacks.
AM Jackkrit Thammavichai, spokesman for the air force, said the most effective way to cope with drones was to prevent them from flying. That is why the air force has been targeting areas where drones were stored, he said.
The 2nd Army Area said on its Facebook page that Cambodia had set up drone control centres in several casino buildings, and that the Thai military was exercising its right to self-defence by firing at those locations.
On Tuesday, a Royal Thai Air Force JAS 39 Gripen fighter dropped high-explosive bombs on the Royal Hill Resort and Casino at O’Smach in Oddar Meanchey province, opposite Chong Chom in Surin.
According to Thai sources, the casino had been used by the Cambodian military as a launch site for drones, a concealment location for BM-21 multiple rocket launchers and a staging area for Cambodian troops. It was also reported to be used by call-centre scammers.
Reports indicate that at least one security guard was killed and several others, including foreigners, were injured. The Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh subsequently posted a message saying it was investigating reports of Chinese nationals at the site, and instructed citizens to leave border areas.
The air force also reported a successful strike on Wednesday night at a Cambodian military command base and oil depot in Banteay Ampil district of Oddar Meanchey, opposite the Chong Sa Ta Ku temporary border crossing in Ban Kruat district of Buri Ram. The explosions could be heard more than 10 kilometres away, according to local reports.
Other casino sites targeted, according to the air force, are located across the border from Chong An Ma in Ubon Ratchathani, Chong Sai Taku in Buriram, Ta Phraya in Sa Kaeo and tambon Cham Rak in Muang district of Trat.