The Internal Security Command (ISC) and Army spokesperson held a briefing on the southern situation, revealing that the arson of the Subdistrict Administrative Organization (SAO) office remains under investigation with no lead dismissed. They noted that the youth’s shooting wounds were confirmed by medical results to be from a pistol, not from a helicopter gunfire.
On 25 Aug 2026 GMT+7, Major General Winthai Suwaree, Army spokesperson, alongside Major General Thammanoon Maisonthee, spokesperson for the Internal Security Command (ISC), held a press conference at the Army Headquarters to clarify the unrest in the southern border provinces. They emphasized the circulating rumors linking the SAO office arson to political issues and addressed doubts about helicopter gunfire targeting youths.
The ISC spokesperson explained that the 4th Army Area Commander’s comments suggesting the SAO arson might be politically motivated were preliminary observations based on local information. The investigation has not excluded any possibilities, including insurgency, illegal business interests, or political motives. Intelligence work is divided into proactive operations targeting specific sites and reactive intelligence relying on local communities. Deep intelligence (A1 level) that predicts events with 100% accuracy is extremely difficult. The perpetrators took advantage of troop rotations to create disturbances such as burning tires, aiming to undermine government credibility and cause public distress rather than inflict direct harm.
Regarding rumors that official helicopters fired upon youths, the ISC spokesperson stated that initial medical and forensic findings confirmed the wounds were caused by 9mm or .22 caliber pistol bullets, not military-grade ammunition from state forces. Furthermore, the bullet trajectory at a 30-degree angle is physically incompatible with helicopter firing capabilities. Nighttime helicopter gunfire is also highly unlikely. Therefore, the public is urged to await thorough investigation and evidence verification.
"The investigation may take time, but it is better to avoid wrongful arrests because mistakenly detaining innocent people could create ongoing problems and alienate local communities," the ISC spokesperson said, appealing for trust in the forensic system’s impartiality and reliability. He also called for fairness toward officials working in the area.