On 24 July the ongoing border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand flared into an armed conflict. Four days later a ceasefire was announced following negotiations, at the time of publication the ceasefire is still in effect. A number of photos and video taken during the fighting were shared online and they feature an interesting mix of small arms which I thought would be a good topic for an article/video.

Broadly speaking the Royal Thai Army is predominantly equipped with what could be described as Western small arms such a M16-pattern rifles and FN MAGs while the Royal Cambodian Army largely uses former Combloc-type weapons such as the Type 56 AK-pattern rifle and the Type 69 RPG, both produced by China.

Thai Armed Forces

The standard issue service rifle of the Royal Thai Army for many years has been the M16, many of the combatants seen in imagery from the conflict were seen with M16A1, A2 and A4s. In a prominent video that surfaced on 26 July, a Thai combatant was filmed firing an M203 40mm grenade launcher mounted on a very well worn M16A1. A number of M16A1s, including one mounted with an M203, were also seen in a photograph of a group of Thai troops believed to be Thahan Phran (Border Rangers). The photo also shows at least one FN MAG general purpose machine gun. Another photo shared on 28 July by a member of the Thahan Phran showed a dug out in the front lines with two M16A1s and a RPD-pattern light machine gun visible. A video posted after the ceasefire showed a squad of the Border Rangers firing M16A1s from what appears to be a cave.

Members of a Thai 120mm mortar crew were also seen equipped with slung M16A2s, loaded with PMAGS, in a short video said to be filmed during the border clashes. It is worth noting that a considerable amount of imagery and footage filmed during past skirmishes and past exercises was shared during the height of the conflict. This is something to bear in mind when considering the veracity of imagery.

A considerable proportion of the available imagery shows what appear to be M16A4s with non-railed, A2-style, handguards. Numerous photos of Thai infantry posing at border markers shows them equipped with M16A4s while a video of Thai combatants taking shelter during Cambodian shelling on 25 July also featured M16A4s.

What appears to be an M16A4, with a quad-rail forend, was seen in another clip of Thai troops firing from a bunker. The rifle is equipped with an 40mm M203 under-barrel grenade launcher, another soldier hands the grenadier what looks to be an M433 HEDP grenade. On the other side of the bunker a soldier with an M16A2 is laying down suppressive fire and also showering the grenadier with spent brass. On the bunker’s embrasure another M16 is sat, seemingly with a non-railed forend but a railed upper receiver. An additional photo of the same personnel was also shared.

M4-pattern carbines have also been seen, with Thai forces engaged in operations around Phu Makhuea, in Si Sa Ket Province, seen in various photos, to have what may be Colt M4 Monolithic carbines. These rifles are believed to be largely used by specialised troops. Another photo said to be taken at Phu Makhuea shows a platoon of well equipped Thai troops believed to be Thai Rangers – a special operations light infantry unit. They are equipped with what appear to be Colt M5s with 14.5 inch barrels, topped with Aimpoint CompM4s. Also seen in the photo are at least three IWI NEGEV NG-5, also equipped with Aimpoint CompM4s. A video showing the same group during a flag raising was also shared online. In the footage we can see the Colt M5s as well as an FN MAG. A photo released later gives us the best look at the Rangers kit, in contrast to the modern Western kit, in the centre of the photo is a Chinese Type 69 RPG, its unclear if this was Ranger kit or a captured weapon.

On the 26 July, the Royal Thai Army’s social media channels shared photos of sappers from the Burapha Task Force, the 1st Army Area. These personnel are seen to be equipped with the ubiquitous M16A2-pattern rifles but also IWI TAR-21 Tavors topped with Meprolight M21s. The Tavor was also seen in a short video said to be Thai troops deploying to the border. In the same video three FN Minimi Mk1 light machine guns and numerous M16-pattern rifles can be seen.

Another NEGEV NG-5 was seen in a video shared on 25 July, the gun is seen firing inside a bunker alongside an assistant gunner with what appears to be an M16A2. In addition to the Tavor and NEGEV, another weapon of Israeli origin seen in use during the conflict was a 7.62x51mm IWI Galil Sniper rifle. A Thai combatant was filmed firing on of these rifles while also using his radio to call in targets.

A brief clip of a Thai soldier firing what may be an STK-40 automatic grenade launcher also emerged. The STK-40 is produced by ST Engineering Land Systems (formerly CIS) the crew suffer a stoppage and struggle to clear it after firing an initial burst.

Intriguingly, in another video a pair of Thai troops are seen operating a Chinese-made 82mm PW-78 recoilless gun. Thai troops have also been seen carrying RPG-7 grenades, indicating continued RPG-7 or Chinese Type 69 use in some units. This video also features another M16A1 with M203 and an FN MAG machine gun.

Cambodian Armed Forces

The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces also fielded an interesting selection of small arms and light weapons. Most troops were seen armed with variants of the Chinese-manufactured Type 56 AK-pattern rifle. This includes standard Type 56s with their fixed wooden stocks, under-folding Type 56-1s and side-folding Type 56-2s.

A Type 56-1, with its under-folding stock, is clearly seen in a short video shared by a Cambodian infantryman who filmed himself in a trench position. It was also seen in numerous videos of Cambodian artillery crews manning MLRSs. Cambodian troops on the border were also seen armed with both Type 56-1s and Type 56-2s equipped with Norinco LG2 under-barrel grenade launchers. Type 56-2s were also seen briefly in a video filmed from a Cambodian PKM machine gun position on 26 July.

M16-pattern rifles have also been seen in use with Cambodian forces with Chinese-produced Norinco CQ series rifles seen in numerous images. A Thai social media page shared a series of photographs of Cambodian troops taken at the start of July. The photos show the Cambodian personnel equipped with a mix of brand new CQ-B rifles, Type 56-1s and Type 56-2s. The new Norinco-manufactured CQ-B is essentially a copy of the M16A3, was seen in numerous photographs and in one image a Cambodian soldier has mounted a magnified optic to the upper receiver rail.

Also seen in one of the early July photos are Norinco LG4 rotary manual grenade launchers these are also seen in a number of images and videos from the conflict. A video posted by Cambodian troops on the border, on the 24 July, shows one combatant with an LG4 and another with a Type 69 RPG. In another photo dating from around the 25 July, a Cambodian soldier is seen with an LG4 and a pair of binoculars.

Five LG4s were seen in a photograph of arms and equipment reportedly captured by Thai troops. Other equipment in the photo includes: two Type 56s, 2 Type 56-1s and a Type 56-2. Several TT-33 pattern pistols are visible alongside what is likely a Norinco CQ-B and a Type 69 RPG.

Cambodian troops were seen with significant numbers of Type 69 RPGs. In one widely shared video a Cambodian soldier is seen firing a Type 69 from the cover of a trench position. In another video of the same soldier he is seen firing a Type 81 7.62×39mm light machine gun, loaded with a drum magazine, before again firing a Type 69. A third video of what may be the same machine gunner gives us a longer look at the Type 81 in action. In another short video Chinese-produced PF69-40 high-explosive incendiary RPG projectiles for the Type 69 were seen. Another clip shows a Cambodian soldier firing a Type 69 near a PKM-pattern machine gun position, its difficult to be certain but the gun may be a Chinese Type 80 PKM-clone. Another PKM-pattern gun and a pair of Type 69s were seen in a video filmed in a Cambodian position on 24 July. Next to the Type 69s is a row of readied ammunition.

In terms of heavier support weapons footage said to have been filmed on the 25 July, showed Cambodian troops in a defensive position blind-firing a Chinese-made W85-QJC-88 12.7mm heavy machine gun. While a photo posted by a Cambodian combatant on 25 July appears to include a B-10 or Type 65 82mm recoilless rifle.

The available imagery from the brief conflict shows a fascinatingly varied and contrasting selection of small arms and light weapons.

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