Thai Air Force explains response to intrusion by Myanmar fighter jet

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.

Porakorn said brief airspace intrusions can happen accidentally where borders stick out and connect like jigsaw pieces.

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.

The RTAF then detected a helicopter flying towards the border, so it dispatched two fully armed F-16 fighter jets to warn Myanmar aircraft not to violate Thai airspace.

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.