Opinion: Bangkok’s Jungle of Lies: How Thailand Turns Its Soldiers’ Deaths into Propaganda
Opinion: Bangkok’s Jungle of Lies: How Thailand Turns Its Soldiers’ Deaths into Propaganda
Senior Thai officials genuflect at a recent memorial ceremony for a fallen soldier. ANN/The Nation Thailand
In the jungles along the Cambodia–Thailand border, young Thai soldiers have paid the ultimate price — not for honour or country, but for the lies of their own commanders. In a desperate bid to hide military failures and escape the fury of grieving families, Bangkok is weaponising the deaths of its own men to launch a psychological war against Cambodia. Instead of honouring its fallen with dignity, Thailand is turning their corpses into propaganda — a grotesque effort to deflect blame and tarnish Cambodia’s image.
On August 4, Thai Deputy Defence Minister Natthapol Nakpanich publicly accused Cambodia of leaving Thai soldiers’ bodies in the forest after the recent border clashes. He warned that “leaving them for a prolonged period could lead to an epidemic”, and melodramatically claimed, “If their spirits were aware… they would be saddened.” Thai media amplified this narrative nationwide — even as Khaosod English admitted it could not independently verify the claims.
Behind this spectacle lies a darker truth: Thailand has lost far more soldiers than it dares to admit. Military insiders whisper that the true death toll may be in the hundreds, a number the Thai Army cannot confess to its own people — or to the world. Instead, Thai leaders have built an elaborate façade of lies. They report a handful of “martyrs”, while concealing the jungle graves of the rest, hoping to hide their own incompetence.
This deception serves two audiences: To the Thai people, it paints a false picture of heroism and control, while denying families the truth of how and where their sons died. To the international community, it frames Cambodia as the villain, masking the fact that Thai troops were the aggressors and that their own commanders abandoned them.
By lying to the world and their own citizens, Thailand commits a double betrayal: first, by sending young soldiers on a reckless and illegal incursion; second, by hiding the truth of their sacrifice behind propaganda headlines.This propaganda campaign serves three cynical purposes: Deflect domestic anger — Families of the dead are asking why their sons died in a pointless, illegal border adventure. Stir unrest in Cambodia — By portraying Cambodia as “inhumane”, Bangkok hopes to weaken our unity and turn our people against their government. Hide military incompetence — The failure to recover bodies exposes reckless planning, poor logistics and gross negligence by Thai commanders.
Cambodia categorically rejects these fabricated accusations. Our armed forces have consistently respected international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions, ensuring the dignity of both our soldiers and foreign troops — even in the face of Thai provocations.
The true dishonour lies in Bangkok’s actions. These soldiers were sent to die in a war of aggression. Their commanders abandoned them in the jungle, then lied to the world and to Thai families about how they died. To invoke “the spirits of the dead” while refusing to admit responsibility is the ultimate betrayal of the Thai military to its own men.
If Thailand truly wants to honour its soldiers, it must: Admit responsibility for sending troops illegally into Cambodian territory. Reveal the real death toll to its people and the world. Coordinate with Cambodia and neutral observers to recover all remaining bodies. Stop turning the grief of Thai families into a political weapon.
Cambodia will not be dragged into this jungle of lies. We will defend our sovereignty, uphold humanitarian principles, and expose the truth: It is not Cambodia that dishonours the dead, but Thailand — whose leaders hide behind their soldiers’ corpses to cover their shame. History will remember this betrayal long after the smoke clears along our border.
Roth Santepheap is a geopolitical analyst based in Phnom Penh. The views and opinions expressed are his own.
The Phnom Penh Post
