White phosphorus munitions aren’t chemical weapons, says Thai army

The Royal Thai Army has clarified that white phosphorus (WP) munitions are not chemical weapons, following the dissemination of distorted information by Cambodia.

On August 19, 2025, Major General Winthai Suvaree, Army spokesperson, clarified the case where Heng Ratana, the Director General of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC), disseminated information claiming that CMAC experts discovered 155-millimeter artillery ammunition containing WP in Oddar Meanchey province, while alleging that the shells resulted from the Royal Thai Army firing during the five-day conflict and constituted incendiary and toxic smoke-generating munitions.The Army spokesperson affirmed that such allegations constitute distortion of facts, lack supporting evidence, and have no legal significance, clarifying that WP munitions serve primary purposes of creating smoke, illumination, explosive effects, and incendiary functions.

They are not classified as chemical weapons under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and no international treaty prohibits the storage or use of such munitions. Thailand can therefore maintain and employ them for military missions within the framework of international law.Regarding the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) Protocol III, which prohibits the use of incendiary weapons designed to directly burn people, WP munitions are not classified within this category. The Royal Thai Army strictly regulates its use of WP munitions, targeting only military objectives, and has never employed them to deliberately harm civilian lives.

Major General Winthai emphasised that the Royal Thai Army's possession and use of WP munitions strictly adheres to international legal frameworks, maintains rigorous control, and fully complies with international humanitarian principles. 

It is evident that Cambodia's allegations constitute merely an attempt to distort facts in order to create public misunderstanding.

(2025/08/19-00:00)