BANGKOK, THAILAND – Thailand kept captured missile systems from its border clashes with Cambodia under tight control while firmly rejecting reports that China had demanded their return.
Seized anti-tank missiles at center of dispute
Thai forces had secured a GAM-102 anti-tank missile system and other equipment during fighting around the disputed Prasat Ta Kwai temple. Army spokesman Major General Winthai Suvaree dismissed speculation that China was seeking the weapons’ return.
“There is no information indicating that China has made such a request.”
said Winthai, army spokesman.
Army insists on control over captured weapons
The spokesman said the weapons had been left in a combat zone and were now being managed and stored by Thai troops to maintain security in the area.
“These are items that we must control because they are in a combat zone.”
said Winthai, adding that a final decision on the captured arms would only be taken once the military mission was complete. The high-tech haul remained under Thai control as clashes continued around nearby areas and the strategically important Hill 350.
Defence ministry warns of AI-driven disinformation
The Defence Ministry also weighed in, with spokesman Rear Admiral Surasan Kongsiri reporting heavy attacks by Cambodian forces on the provinces of Ubon Ratchathani and Surin. Thai troops had responded in self-defence, he said, while warning of a surge in disinformation about the fighting.
“Units at the front have been instructed to watch out for deception tactics aimed at luring troops into traps.”
said Surasan. He stated that reports of high Thai casualties were fake and appeared to have been created using AI tools such as Google Gemini.
Evacuations and rising civilian toll
The humanitarian situation worsened as residents in Khun Han and Phu Sing districts were evacuated following shelling, after an earlier evacuation recommendation for Kantharalak in Si Sa Ket. According to the spokesman, the indirect number of civilian deaths had reached twelve, with one person killed and five injured by Cambodian weapons.
Symbolic weight of the captured arms
Thailand’s refusal to remove or hand over the seized weapons from the combat zone was framed as a strong signal of its claim to control the contested territory. Rejecting the rumours involving China also underlined that Bangkok would not accept third-party interference in the bilateral border dispute, with every weapon in Thai hands portrayed as one fewer in those of a potential adversary. Observers were left to watch whether this firm stance would further fuel tensions or become leverage in future negotiations, as the information war over the conflict intensified alongside the fighting.