Second Army chief orders crackdown on spy drones in Northeast

Second Army Area Commander Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang has instructed governors of 20 northeastern provinces to intensify monitoring efforts against foreign-operated spy drones at key public locations.

Boonsin told reporters on Sunday that he issued the directive during a teleconference with the governors on Saturday. In their capacity as directors of their provincial Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) offices, the governors were urged to step up surveillance against drone activities.

He added that the governors were also instructed to procure anti-drone equipment, coordinate with police and the private sector, and enlist help from local residents in detecting suspicious drone activity.

Heightened vigilance is required at critical sites such as provincial halls, sports stadiums, arms depots, police stations, and bus terminals, Boonsin said.

The governors were further told to work with police to deploy patrols to identify any foreigners who may be engaging in surveillance activities.

Boonsin warned that some spy drones might be operated by third parties amid ongoing Thai-Cambodian border tensions. He suggested that call-centre and online gambling gangs—whose operations have been disrupted by Thai crackdowns in neighbouring countries—could be involved.

Foreign nationals found to be involved in spying would face legal action, be blacklisted, and deported, he added.

Boonsin also noted that Thai troops remain on high alert around the clock following reports that Cambodian forces have reinforced their positions along the border.

Meanwhile, Royal Thai Army deputy spokesman Col Ritcha Suksuwanon said the Thai military had notified its Cambodian counterpart that it would be detonating explosives and unexploded artillery shells on Phu Ma Kua at 9 a.m., to avoid any misunderstanding that the activity could breach the ceasefire.