Thai Air Force explains response to intrusion by Myanmar fighter jet
The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has released a YouTube clip to defend its reaction to an intrusion by a Myanmar fighter jet into Tak province last month.
The clip was released on Monday after the RTAF came under heavy criticism from Thai netizens for allegedly doing nothing in response to the intrusion on June 30.
The Myanmar MiG-29 intruded 4-5 kilometres into Thai air space over Phop Phra district during air strikes on ethnic rebels in a Myawaddy border town. The intrusion panicked Thai locals and reportedly caused classes at two schools to be suspended.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha dismissed the incident as “trivial”, however, and said the Myanmar government had apologised.
In the 40-minute clip, Group Capt Porakorn Jinawat, former commander of the RTAF intercepting fleet, said critics may have received “inadequate and incorrect information” about the air force’s reaction to the incident.
He added that the RTAF detects any violation of Thai airspace via radar before ground troops are alerted to verify it.
On June 30, the Myanmar fighter jet flew into Thai territory for just over one minute as it made a turn, Porakorn said.
He added the RTAF has fighter jets on alert to defend airspace throughout the country.
Some viewers of the clip commented that criticism would have been less harsh if the RTAF had issued the clip earlier.
