Military denies report about arrest of its spy

The Thai military yesterday refuted a report that an official from the Armed Forces' Security Centre was caught spying at the City Angkor Hotel in Siem Reap where ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra stayed during his visit to Cambodia last week.

Armed Forces spokesman Colonel Sithichai Markkunchorn said no one by the name of Manit, as claimed by Cambodia, worked under the centre.

He said the accusation had slandered the Thai Armed Forces and called on Cambodia to identify the last name of the person arrested.

He urged the public to use discretion and not believe any information without checking, as the country may fall victim to ill-intentioned groups.

Ties between the Thai and Cambodian militaries remained normal while people on both sides of the border continued their ways and earned a living from border trade as usual, he said.

Thepthai Senpong, the Democrat Party leader's personal spokesman, lashed out at Pheu Thai Party MP Jatuporn Promphan for protecting Cambodia and insulting the Thai government by accusing it of stealing information from Cambodia.

He blamed Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen for releasing such news to the media with the intent of cornering the Thai government.

"Hun Sen has done that because he wants to justify his action against the Thai government. It's a shame that Thais have helped Cambodia to defame their own country," he said.

Acting government spokesman Panitan Watanayagorn could not confirm that a second Thai citizen was detained in Cambodia, as reported by a Phnom Penh newspaper.

Panitan, during a telephone interview from Singapore, said he had received no reports that a security official attached to the Thai Armed Forces' Security Centre was arrested by Cambodian authorities.

The Khmer newspaper said an officer known only as "Manit" was apprehended at the City Angkor hotel in Siem Reap.