Military Maintains Nationwide Weapons Depots According to International Standards

Today (25 Feb) 12:35 pm At the Army Headquarters, Major General Winthai Suwaree, spokesperson for the Royal Thai Army, gave an interview regarding the maintenance of military weapons depots following the fire at the Border Patrol Police ammunition depot in Surin Province. He stated that weapons depot maintenance is governed by regulations and personnel adhering to international standards. Location and area management are the same for both military and police depots. Most incidents are caused by environmental factors, such as extreme heat leading to igniters. He added that storage involves risk management, including separating items and not storing them all together.

Major General Winthai acknowledged that, in addition to the heat, other factors, such as moving items for cleaning, also played a role in the explosion. However, he assured that all involved are concerned. The storage of weapons, which are dangerous objects, is done according to standard procedures, a system that is the same as the international standard.

When asked by reporters whether the possibility of sabotage could be ruled out, Major General Winthai said that it was unlikely, as the information we have does not indicate such a possibility. Most weapons depots are not located near the border but are situated inland, quite remote. Regarding the possibility of sabotage by spies, that would also be difficult, as the weapons depots are located in separate areas, not in communities or near other buildings. If it were a depot containing large explosives, the building construction would be different. In this case, since the incident involved weapons belonging to a unit, the damage was not considered severe.

"Everything is managed in a system. The location, storage methods, usage, and distribution are all within the system. We regularly emphasize security measures for all Army weapons depots nationwide, especially during the hot season," Major General Winthai said.

Major General Winthai added that the army already instructs personnel to increase security measures at weapons depots during the hot season. Historically, incidents of this nature tend to occur during hot weather. Regarding the public's observation that... Regarding why the fire didn't occur during the hot midday sun, other details need to be considered. Sometimes, ignition can occur due to the accumulation of heat accumulated throughout the day. The personnel in charge of the weapons depot are already subject to regulations, such as routine inspections.

Concerning public concerns that the weapons and ammunition in the fire, intended for border security, might impact area security, Major General Winthai stated that the depot was at the unit level, and the ammunition used was only for unit-level weapons. As far as he knows, the quantity of ammunition wasn't large, so the impact would be minimal. According to weapons storage regulations, unit-level depots maintain a limited supply of ammunition, which is replenished when depleted. Therefore, the ammunition involved in the fire was essentially used for a short period. The unit's primary function is border security, and they do not possess heavy weapons like those found in central-level depots.