Shame in the Forest: How Thailand Sacrifices Truth and Its Own Soldiers
5:28 PM
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Thailand has crossed a moral line. In a desperate bid to mask its own military failures and escape the anger of grieving families, Bangkok is weaponizing the tragic deaths of its young soldiers to launch a psychological war against Cambodia. Rather than honoring its fallen with dignity, Thailand is turning their deaths into propaganda, hoping to deflect blame and tarnish Cambodia’s image.
On August 4, 2025, Thai Deputy Defence Minister Gen. Natthapol Nakpanich publicly called on Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence to “quickly collect bodies” of Cambodian soldiers reportedly left in the forest after recent clashes. He went so far as to warn that “leaving them for a prolonged period could lead to an epidemic” and claimed, “If their spirits were aware… they would be saddened.” Thai media widely amplified this statement, though Khaosod English noted it could not independently verify the facts.
Behind this melodramatic statement lies the truth: Thailand has lost many soldiers—its own young men—to a reckless and illegal border aggression. Its commanders abandoned them in the jungle, failed to recover their remains, and now fear the backlash from families who are demanding answers. Independent reports estimate that the number of Thai soldiers killed could reach into the hundreds—yet the Thai Army continues to hide this figure from its own people. Thailand should not lie to the world, while Cambodia has been transparent and knows the fate of each of our brave soldiers.
This is not about compassion. This is about fear and guilt. The Thai military leadership, unable to face the mothers and fathers of their fallen soldiers, has chosen a cowardly escape: blame Cambodia. Somewhere in Thailand tonight, mothers are still waiting for sons who will never return—abandoned first in the forest, and now abandoned in truth.
The Thai propaganda machine serves three cynical purposes: Deflect domestic anger – Families of the dead are asking why their sons were sent to die in a pointless border adventure. Stir unrest in Cambodia – By falsely portraying Cambodia as “inhumane,” Bangkok hopes to inflame Cambodian public opinion against its own government. Hide military incompetence – Unrecovered bodies are a direct result of poor planning, reckless incursions, and failed battlefield logistics.
Cambodia categorically rejects these baseless accusations. Our armed forces have always upheld international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions, respecting the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the dead, whether our own soldiers or foreign troops.
The true dishonor lies in Thailand’s actions. By invoking the “spirits of the dead” while refusing to accept responsibility for their deaths, Bangkok is betraying its own soldiers. These men were sent to die in a war of aggression, abandoned by their commanders, and now exploited in death as instruments of psychological warfare.
If Thailand truly wishes to honor its soldiers, it must: Admit responsibility for sending them into Cambodian territory illegally. Recover their remains through coordination with Cambodia and neutral observers. Stop turning the grief of their families into a political weapon.
Cambodia will not be drawn into this theater of lies. We will defend our sovereignty, uphold humanitarian principles, and expose the truth: History will not remember Cambodia as the aggressor—it will remember Thailand as the army that abandoned its own sons, then hid behind their corpses to escape its shame.
