An army spokesman has denied reports that a Thai drone was shot down after debris was found near the Thai-Cambodian border in Si Sa Ket province.
Col Winthai Suwaree, who also serves as a spokesman for the National Council for Peace and Order, said the mysterious metal debris found in Si Sa Ket's Kantharalak district last Sunday was not a component of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
Thailand does not have any defence drones, but some residents believed a UAV had been fired upon.
Col Winthai said information which he had obtained from army officers at the Suranaree army camp suggested the metal looked like satellite debris found in December 2011 and December 2013 in the same area.
Headman of tambon Saothongchai Weerawuth Duangkaew spoke of hearing a loud noise last Sunday about 11am.
The noise heard by residents in Si Sa Ket and Ubon Ratchathani had shocked them, he said.
Most thought the noise was caused by Thai and Cambodian troops clashing.
A group of residents who inspected the area in the district said they found metal debris 5cm wide and 150cm long on houses in tambon Saothongchai of the province.
A team of army officers would collect the debris for examination, Col Winthai said.