Defense Minister urges not to describe the situation as a "hunt" after the Army Chief of Staff declared he would be the “hunter” of the killers of the Narathiwat rangers, and cautions against prematurely linking the issue to the Fourth Army Region commander's position.
On 23 Jul 2026 GMT+7, at the Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant General Adul Boonthamcharoen, Defense Minister, spoke after a Defense Council meeting regarding discussions with General Pana Khlawplodtuk, Army Commander, about the southern border provinces situation, stating that measures to prevent recurrence were discussed.
When asked about General Chaiphruek Duangprapat, Army Chief of Staff, announcing he would become a "hunter," Lieutenant General Adul said different approaches to prevention and problem-solving should be discussed. The Prime Minister has assigned him to visit the area, but tomorrow (24 Jul) he has an important duty to welcome the Chinese Defense Minister.
When asked, "Is it time to hunt the perpetrators?" Lieutenant General Adul replied, "Do not call it a 'hunt.' Thai people with differing views must come together to talk. We already have a peace dialogue committee, the Fourth Army Region Forward Command, and the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre, which serve as tools for our work to identify any shortcomings. We will discuss these matters. I will visit the area along with the head of the government's special representative committee addressing southern border issues."
Cautions against linking the incident to the Fourth Army Region commander's position.
When asked, "Will this incident affect the Fourth Army Region commander's position?" Because it coincides with the regular rotation period, Lieutenant General Adul said, "Please do not bring up that issue yet. Let the Fourth Army Region commander focus on tracking the perpetrators after this loss. Do not think about that now, because the Fourth Army Region commander and the Narathiwat Task Force commander are fully focused on their work to ensure safety."
Lieutenant General Adul commented on the general officer reshuffle, saying it is the responsibility of the service commanders, and that the time for such discussions has not yet arrived. He urged patience, noting it is up to each service commander to discuss among themselves.