Bangkok: International media understands Thailand's tactics, the F-16 air hawk mission is limited to military areas after Cambodia continuously bombed Thai civilian targets, confirming that it is defending the country according to international law, while international influencers and academics praise Thailand for carrying out the mission with military gentlemen.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Jirayu Huangsap, spokesman of the Prime Minister's Office and the committee of the Special Operations Center for the Administration of the Situation on the Thai-Cambodian Border (SOC-CMB), revealed that the Information Operations Center has summarized the opinions of academics and both domestic and international media outlets. They have expressed their understanding that Thailand has implemented tactics in the rules of engagement by limiting the mission to the specific area of Cambodian military forces. This operation aimed to resist aggression, maintain Thai sovereignty, and confirm the use of F-16s to counter Cambodia on 24-25 July 2025, in accordance with the right to self-defense under the United Nations Charter, after Cambodia launched heavy weapons and fired BM-21 multiple-barrel rockets into Thai homes and civilian areas, resulting in many deaths and injuries.
It has been stated that the F-16's capability is a high-precision weapon that reduces the risk to civilian areas, while Cambodia uses heavy weapons such as artillery that are used indiscriminately.
Recently, foreign media, such as Singapore's CNA, interviewed security scholars from the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., who confirmed that the Thai military's response was accurate and limited to the Cambodian military targets that were the source of the attack, without affecting civilian areas. They also pointed out that the tactics used were appropriate in the context of the border conflict. As for the Thai Air Force, it used F-16s with precision-guided weapons to attack the Cambodian missile base and military camps, avoiding all civilian areas.
Mr. Jirayu revealed that opinions from people of various countries, including media scholars and leading foreign influencers, have analyzed and presented academic information, including similar opinions that Thailand retaliated after Cambodia violated sovereignty and attacked Thai people first, especially civilian areas and hospitals, while Cambodia still uses AI images to release fake news, such as shooting down a Thai F-16, deceiving its own people all day long.
'I would like to thank all Thais from all walks of life, civilians from friendly countries, influencers, and academics from both Thailand and abroad who have helped post, make video clips, provide academic information, and disseminate the facts online, making the truth known to the world that 'Thailand loves peace, but is not a coward even when fighting,' said Mr. Jirayu.