Thai–Laotian Border War
The Thai–Lao Border War, or known in Thai as Battle of Ban Romklao (Thai: สมรภูมิบ้านร่มเกล้า or ยุทธการบ้านร่มเกล้า; December 1987 – February 1988), was a short confrontation between Thai and Lao forces. It involved a dispute over the map made by French surveyors in 1907 to mark the borders between Siam and French Indochina in the southern Luang Prabang Range. Ownership of the village of Ban Romklao on the border of Phitsanulok Province and three small border villages on the edge of Uttaradit Province was left unclear. This is the same map underlying the Cambodian–Thai border dispute. The agreed criterion for determining ownership was the natural watershed, but the French map makers at times ignored this.[3] As the agreed-upon river Hoeng separated into two tributaries, both parties claimed different ones as the border, which, alongside logging disputes, gave rise to this conflict.[2]
| Thai–Lao Border War Battle of Ban Romklao | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Third Indochina War that was part of the Cold War | |||||||||
 เนิน 1428 (Hill 1428), the battlefield of Thai–Lao Border War of 1988, view from Phu Soidao National Park, Chat Trakan, Phitsanulok. | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Laos Vietnam |
 Thailand | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Phoumi Vongvichit Trường Chinh |
Chavalit Yongchaiyudh | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
|
Laos: ~100 soldiers killed ~200 wounded[1] Vietnam: None |
Thailand: ~200 soldiers killed ~400 wounded[1] 2 aircraft (February)[2] | ||||||||
| ~1,000 total deaths | |||||||||
Battle
A series of minor shooting incidents had occurred between Thai and Lao forces in 1984. In December 1987, however, Thai armed forces occupied the disputed village of Ban Romklao, raising the Thai flag over it. The government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic protested strongly, insisting the village was part of Botene District of Saiyabuli Province. Thailand replied that the village belonged to Chat Trakan District (amphoe) of Phitsanulok Province. Lao Army forces staged a night attack on the small Thai garrison, driving the Thai soldiers from the village and replacing the Thai flag with that of Laos. Serious fighting followed, continuing for weeks until a cease-fire was declared on 19 February 1988.
On December 15, 1987, Thai F-5 planes bombed Lao positions in the region and Lao officials claimed Thailand shelled up to 10km into Sayaboury province. Frequent aerial attacks continued against the dug-in Lao alongside artillery exchanges, and by mid-January 1988 the Thai claimed to have secured 70% of ground around Hill 1428. The fighting continued in February as the Lao still retained strategic high ground, with Thai airstrikes losing 2 aircraft. Talks eventually occurred on the 16-17th, and a ceasefire on the 19th saw both sides retreat 3km from the line of contact.[2]
The brief war claimed a total of about 1,000 deaths,[4] the Thais suffering more heavily since for much of the war they were attacking entrenched Lao positions. Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh was the commander of the Royal Thai Army at the time of the war and was criticized for engaging in it against the wishes of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Vietnam had assisted its socialist ally, sending troops from its 2nd Division to Baan Nakok air field in Saiyabuli to support the Lao military operations, amidst the border clashes with Thailand along the Thai–Cambodian border.[5]
Aftermath
The Thai-Lao Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) was established in 1996 to clarify the 1,810-kilometre boundary and settle ownership of the disputed villages. As of 2007 border demarcation was ongoing.[3]
References
- Clodfelter, Michael (2017). Warfare and Armed Conflicts: A Statistical Encyclopedia of Casualty and Other Figures, 1492-2015 (4th ed.). McFarland. p. 627. ISBN 9781476625850.Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN 978-0786474707
- "Major World Events - February 1988" (PDF). Stanford University. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 21, 2022.
- Supalak Ganjanakhundee (March 8, 2007). "Lao border talks progressing". The Nation. Archived from the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
Officials from both sides will start to conduct aerial photography for mapping this month before beginning the demarcation process and plan to complete the task by 2010.
- Savada, Andrea Matles; Whitaker, Donald P (1995). Laos: a country study. Washington DC: Library of Congress. p. 285. Archived from the original on April 21, 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
- Banerjee, Sumantra (1988-01-16). "New Tension Point". Economic and Political Weekly. 23 (3): 62. JSTOR 4377962.