❓ Content reviewed: A Facebook page claimed that “Panitan Wattanayagorn” said in an interview that American mercenaries were helping Cambodia use drones to fight Thailand.
❌ Fact-check result: Misleading content distorts Assoc. Prof. Dr. Panitan’s interview did not mention American mercenaries.
📝 Summary: On 11 Dec 2025, the Facebook pages “ThaiTribune” and “IMCT News Thai Perspectives on Global News” posted an image of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Panitan Wattanayagorn, a security expert and former lecturer in the Department of International Relations, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, along with the caption: “American mercenaries are helping Cambodia use drones to fight Thailand.”
The posts were presented in the style of a news report, citing Assoc. Prof. Dr. Panitan said that there might be “mercenary fighters” or foreign experts helping train Cambodian soldiers to use drones, or even jointly operating drones with Cambodian forces to attack Thai troops. The posts further claimed that these foreign experts were American.
🔎 Cofact investigation: A review of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Panitan’s interviews regarding the latest round of fighting between Thailand and Cambodia found that on 9 Dec 2025, the YouTube channel of Top News published a 19.06 minutes interview video with him, introduced with the caption: “ Lecturer Panitan believes this clash may involve ‘foreign mercenaries,’ noting that Thailand has not yet dared to strike deep into major Cambodian bases.”
Between minutes 3:54 and 5:54, the discussion addressed combat using explosive laden drones. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Panitan stated that Cambodian troops might not be operating the drones entirely on their own, but could be supported by groups responsible for training and operational control, resulting in greater readiness to use drones. When the host asked whether this meant mercenaries, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Panitan replied that open battlefields like this are similar worldwide, and it cannot be denied that there may be individuals with higher levels of expertise than local forces that have not yet been extensively trained in the use of modern weaponry.
After reviewing the entire interview, Cofact found no mention whatsoever of “American mercenaries.”
Cofact also contacted Assoc. Prof. Dr. Panitan, by phone, confirmed that in his media interviews, he never specified the nationality of any mercenaries or experts operating drones in Cambodia. He noted that the claim may have resulted from interpretation or added elaboration by the Facebook pages that republished his remarks.
