NationThailand-June 18
Prime Minister Paetongtarn sets up Special Operations Centre to manage Thai-Cambodian border issues, with Gen Natthapon Nakpanich appointed as director.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has issued an order to establish the Special Operations Centre for Thai-Cambodian Border Situations Management (SOC-TCBSM). The centre will be led by Deputy Defence Minister General Natthapon Nakpanich, who has been appointed as its director. On June 17, Natthapon held the first meeting of the new Centre, setting the framework and working guidelines based on the operational model of the Covid-19 Situation Administration Centre (CCSA) under General Prayut Chan-o-cha. The Centre appointed two spokespeople to handle daily updates and responses. Nikorndej Balankura, Director-General of the Department of Information and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will cover foreign affairs, while Rear Admiral Surasan Kongsiri, a senior expert from the Thai military and Deputy Spokesperson for the Royal Thai Armed Forces, will handle security matters. Both will provide updates in both Thai and English. “SOC-TCBSM has been set up to drive and integrate the immediate issues at hand, while also tracking long-term efforts, such as the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meetings between Thailand and Cambodia, and the International Court of Justice (ICJ),” Natthapon said. “I confirm that the Centre should not exist for longer than a month, and we will work swiftly to resolve the situation.”
“We aim to keep the public informed and prevent confusion,” he said. Read more at: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/general/40051395
