Navy rejects Chanthaburi-Trat bunker criticism

The Royal Thai Navy has rejected social-media claims that bunkers along the Chanthaburi-Trat border are poorly built, saying widely shared images show only a single location and do not represent wider upgrades to border bases.

Captain Nara Khunthothom, deputy Defence Ministry spokesperson and assistant Navy spokesperson, issued the clarification on Tuesday, August 4, after photographs and details concerning border strongpoints in Chanthaburi and Trat circulated online.

He said the Navy wanted to provide accurate information about the condition of operational bases and ongoing improvement work in the two provinces.

Upgrades followed 2025 border clashes

Nara said the Chanthaburi-Trat Border Defence Command received funding after clashes along the border in July 2025. The budget was intended to improve operational bases within the command's area of responsibility, taking account of the security situation and assigned duties.

The programme is broader than bunker construction, he said. It includes office buildings, troop accommodation, strongpoints, bunkers, obstacles, facilities and other infrastructure required for military operations.

Online posts had implied that the work concerned bunkers alone, Nara said, but this did not reflect the full scope of the project.

Construction depends on each location

The Navy said there is no single design for every upgraded position. Each base is planned according to local terrain, troop deployments, mission requirements and assessments of potential threats.

That approach is intended to ensure bases are suitable for their intended role and offer the greatest possible protection for personnel, according to Nara.

He said some of the disputed photographs were taken at a particular time and at only one site. They could not, therefore, be used to judge the overall project or the present condition of all border operational bases.

The Navy described the development of operational bases and strongpoints as an ongoing requirement, intended to improve troop safety, strengthen defence readiness and prepare for possible future security developments.

The Navy asked both the public and media not to share photographs or details revealing the locations, characteristics or capabilities of military bases and strongpoints. It warned that such information could affect troop deployments, operations, national security and the safety of personnel stationed along the border.

Picture courtesy of The Nation

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5 August 2026

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