I'd incline toward it being a pre-deployment training exercise before a particular battalion goes to the South. Might as well practice it right in a place where no one is heaving grenades, planting bombs or shooting at you..
The operation described sounds exactly the tactics a military unit would use down south.. And out in Nong Wua Sor, that's west of Udon and down the valley right?? Away from the big city and big towns.. A rural landscape probably again quite similar to what they'd encounter down south..

FrazeeDK wrote:I'd incline toward it being a pre-deployment training exercise before a particular battalion goes to the South. Might as well practice it right in a place where no one is heaving grenades, planting bombs or shooting at you..
The operation described sounds exactly the tactics a military unit would use down south.. And out in Nong Wua Sor, that's west of Udon and down the valley right?? Away from the big city and big towns.. A rural landscape probably again quite similar to what they'd encounter down south..

The road blocks have been dismantled but the troops are still camped up here. Your posting was more or less the official explanation that has been given for their being here. Another mystery solved by our intrepid forum members.I do so hate not knowing whats going on on my patch.

Oh well we got the "south" connection right,hope you kept the troops topped up with pots of Tea and cake's val.

beer monkey wrote:Oh well we got the "south" connection right,hope you kept the troops topped up with pots of Tea and cake's val.

Point an AK47 at me and you can have Chivas. Don't try it though

Or perhaps the exercise was more to do with the prospect of a state of emergency being declared in Bangkok...

Quoting from The Nation today - "Emergency on agenda as Surayud meets CNS" - "Police and military officers yesterday set up checkpoints along the highways in Nakhon Ratchasima [...] in an attempt to block prospective protesters from joining rallies in the capital"

drove down to khon kaen and back today..both ways the highway was full of army personnel carriers....