Thais Bomb Three Cambodian Border Casinos Deemed Military Threats

2025-12-12 03:17:04

(MENAFN- Asia Times) BANGKOK, Thailand – Thailand's US-supplied F-16 warplanes and Swedish Gripen jets bombed at least three Cambodian casinos during the past week in a gamble Bangkok hopes will obliterate its enemy's alleged ability to fire armed drones from the border zone complexes and stockpile rockets, mortars and other weapons.

The big white-walled casinos are easy targets in the green forests and brown scrubland because Cambodia has no effective military air force to defend them.

Cambodia has not fired its anti-aircraft weapons during the war that began in July, perhaps predicting a devastating response from militarily-mightier Thailand.

Cambodia's casinos are some of the biggest and strongest-built buildings along the frontier, constructed with millions of dollars from gamblers' and investors' money.

The well-equipped casino complexes could offer Cambodia's military formidable structures, but it was not possible to independently confirm their dual use.

Cambodia mostly uses mortars and unguided, ground-to-ground, Soviet-era, truck-mounted 122mm BM-21 multiple rocket launchers, which blindly fly over the treetops into Thai territory with poor accuracy.

Cambodia's more-precise armed drones have increasingly impacted Thailand with direct hits, making drone launching sites a priority.

The US-trained Thai army said on Thursday (Dec. 11) it suspects foreigners are helping Cambodia fly bomb-laden drones to hit specific targets, because Cambodia's unguided mortars and rocket launchers are inefficient.

The Second Army Area, which guards Thailand's 500-mile-long curved border with Cambodia, said Thai troops overheard Cambodian military radios use the English word“finished” when several drones dropped mortars on Thailand.

The Thai army said it tracked the voice to Thailand's Ubon Ratchathani province which borders Cambodia, but did not elaborate.

Cambodia uses“first-person view drones” to drop 82mm mortars, the Second Army said.

Cambodia also flies mortar-carrying“suicide drones” which deliberately crash into Thai military bunkers' doorways, shredding troops sheltering inside, the army said.

Each bomb-carrying Cambodian drone is supported and videoed by a nearby“target identification drone” which returns to base for analysis.

Thailand and Cambodia have also been digging trenches, unspooling barbed wire and engaging in gritty foxhole-to-foxhole clashes.

The escalating warfare is confined to narrow border zones along Thailand's northeast provinces of Surin, Buriram, Sisaket, Ubon Ratchathani and Trat, plus Cambodian provinces on the opposite side of the frontier's forests and steep cliffs.

Since December 7, scores of troops and civilians on both sides have perished during the worst battles since the war began.

More than 50 people, including troops and civilians, have reportedly been killed on both sides in the five-months-long conflict.

Thailand holds 18 Cambodian prisoners of war.

Thai forces said they minimalized damage while bombing three Cambodian casinos' lavish buildings because civilians may have been inside, including illegal scammers who trick foreigners out of their life savings through fake online investment and romance schemes.

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