The Army Chief does not believe Cambodia's excuse for firing three shots near the Thai base, declaring that Thailand returned fire according to established procedures. He strongly criticized the incident, emphasizing such events must not happen again. He also revealed Thailand's readiness to build the Huai Tamaria reservoir in Sisaket Province.
At 12:00 on 17 July 2026 at the Parliament, General Chaipruk Duangpraphat, Army Chief of Staff, spoke about the Thai-Cambodian border situation, where recently three shots were fired from the Cambodian side near the Thai military base. He said, "We returned fire following our protocol. Cambodia has contacted us to discuss the matter between commanders in the area, and we strongly rebuked them, stating such incidents must not occur again. If they do, both sides must follow the Thai-Cambodian Joint Declaration. If they continue to trespass or violate the agreement, we will take appropriate steps." When asked if Cambodia explained the reason for firing the three shots, General Chaipruk said, "Regardless of whether they claim it was due to disciplinary issues, personnel problems, or alcohol consumption, we do not accept those excuses. We trust only the facts that the incident indeed happened, and we responded accordingly."
When asked about the recent meeting of the secretariat committee for the Thai-Cambodian regional border between Thailand's 2nd Army Region and Cambodia's 4th Military Region (RBC), which reported hearing 19 explosions along the border from April 2026 to the present, General Chaipruk said, "We have already informed Cambodia about this sensitive issue. Even if these incidents occur on Cambodian territory along the border, they affect our civilians and troops and should not happen. Cambodian personnel from any unit must exercise greater caution, and we have already issued a strong rebuke."
Regarding progress on the Huai Tamaria reservoir in Sisaket Province, after the Royal Irrigation Department allocated a budget for its construction, General Chaipruk said, "I am aware of this development as I have discussed it with the Royal Irrigation Department. We have informed the Prime Minister, who has instructed that the project be considered carefully. The budget source—whether from the Irrigation Department, the central government, or the military—is not an issue. We are ready to proceed with this project as long as it benefits the country. The Royal Irrigation Department has been coordinating closely with the 2nd Army Region throughout."