Jatuporn slams Thai government over ceasefire terms, says deal led to loss of Ta Kwai temple
Jatuporn Prompan accuses Thai government of surrendering territory at Ta Kwai temple under ceasefire terms with Cambodia, calls agreement a grave mistake.
On August 2, 2025 at Victory Monument in Bangkok, Jatuporn Prompan, protest leader of the Uniting the Power of the Land for the Defence of Thai Sovereignty group, criticised the Thai government’s handling of the ceasefire with Cambodia, claiming it resulted in the loss of the disputed Ta Kwai temple.
He said the protest held today was intended to boost the morale of Thai soldiers defending the nation’s sovereignty. Referring to the earlier rally on June 28, Jatuporn stated that while the group’s core mission was to protect Thai sovereignty, the situation had since worsened. The protest group had called for the resignation of the Prime Minister and the withdrawal of coalition parties from government, but received no accountability in return—not even for the deaths of civilians and soldiers.
He pointed to the loss of territory at Ta Kwai temple as the most severe consequence of the conflict. Jatuporn criticised Acting PM Phumtham Wechayachai for entering ceasefire talks without properly assessing battlefield conditions with the military. Although Thai troops had regained control of several key areas, he said the loss of Ta Kwai temple left a permanent scar.
"We declared that under King Rama X’s reign, not an inch of Thai territory would be lost. But the unconditional ceasefire negotiations led to exactly that,” he said, adding he would address the matter again during his closing speech at 9 PM.
When asked about reports that the military was forced to retreat from Ta Kwai and Chong An Ma due to political pressure, Jatuporn replied that while people can say anything, actions speak louder than words. He deemed the Malaysia-brokered negotiations a mistake and insisted a third country should never have been involved.
"Ceasefire partners must understand the ground situation—especially at Ta Kwai. When Cambodia refused to stop firing at 6 PM and it had to be extended to midnight, Thailand should have recognised the risk. Cambodia’s non-compliance and continued aggression meant the ceasefire was already broken. Losing Ta Kwai temple should have invalidated all three points of the agreement,” he concluded.
