Is Thailand Fighting Scam Army Now and Not Cambodian Army?

“Scam Army = Global Threat. Thailand on the Front Line confronting the Scam Army.”
— From the Facebook page of the 2nd Army Region, Thursday, 18 December 2015

On the 11th day of the Thai–Cambodian border war, we have seen the Thai Army attempt to reshape public perception of the conflict—framing it not as a fight over disputed border territories, but as a campaign to suppress and eradicate Cambodian scammers, claiming that Cambodia harbours what is being called a “Scam Army.”

The following day—today—someone who supports the war tweeted to me on X:
“We are not fighting the Khmer people; we are fighting scam gangs.”

This made me think of the then Israeli ambassador to Thailand, Orna Sagiv, who once discussed this with me and insisted that Israel was not waging war against Palestine, but against Hamas. When I asked about the hospitals bombed by Israel, the ambassador replied that the hospitals were being used as hiding places by Hamas militants, who were using civilians as human shields.

Yesterday, Thai forces also used an F-16 to strike a casino building in Cambodia, claiming that Cambodian troops had converted “forward military command centre” used to direct combat against Thai soldiers and civilians.

If Thailand truly intends to eliminate Cambodian scam networks through military means, this writer fears that Thailand would have to advance all the way to Phnom Penh, deploy infantry forces on the ground, engage in a protracted urban battle, suffer heavy troop losses, and ultimately ‘regime change’ Cambodia’s political leadership—or the Hun family itself. This is because scam networks appear to be deeply entrenched in Cambodian society, with influence spreading widely, capable of building massive “scammer complexes” the size of prisons, while those in power in Cambodia turn a blind eye. This differs from Thailand, where scammers tend to hide in housing estates or condominiums.

The question is: Is Thailand prepared for a protracted war and capable of changing Cambodia’s leadership through military force?
Can Thailand do what the United States did—invade Baghdad and kill President Saddam Hussein?

Can Thailand truly declare a “war on the scam army,” similar to America’s “war on terror”?

And how will the international community react to Thailand, when at present the United States, China, the EU, Japan, the United Kingdom, ASEAN and the United Nations are all calling on Thailand and Cambodia to cease fire?

_____

The post Is Thailand Fighting Scam Army Now and Not Cambodian Army? appeared first on Khaosod English.