Anti-Cambodia activists tried to raise the Thai flag in a disputed border area yesterday but were turned away by Thai authorities.
Gen Preecha Iamsuphan and Veeraphan Malaiphan, leaders of the group, were stopped by authorities when they asked to fly the flag on the hill in the disputed 4.6-square-kilometre area near the Preah Vihear temple.
The pair then handed over the flag to authorities at Phu Makhua in Kantharalak district of Si Sa Ket province and asked them to fly the flag on their behalf.
Col Sanya Kiatsarn, deputy commander of the Suranaree taskforce of the 2nd Army, promised to put up the flag on the hill at their request.
Gen Preecha, a core member of the People's Alliance for Democracy, said the protesters wanted to fly the flag in the border area as a symbolic gesture to show the area belongs to Thailand.
The protesters later dispersed without any violence.
The general climate along the border near the temple was normal yesterday with no reports of any military reinforcements from the two countries.
Suriyasai Katasila, a coordinator of the Green Politics group, criticised the government on his Facebook page for ordering authorities to block people from entering the disputed area to put up the flag.
He said Cambodia could exploit the episode to help its case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
It could argue that the Thai government has acknowledged the area belongs to Cambodia because it bars Thais from gaining access to the area.
By contrast, Cambodia has encouraged its people to set up communities, temples and schools or build roads to the area, all without opposition from Thailand, Mr Suriyasai said.
In Nakhon Ratchasima's Sikhiu district hundreds of members of the Thai Patriots Network are pressing on with their rally near Lam Ta Klong reservoir to oppose the ICJ hearing on the dispute. The rally began on April 9.
Chaiwat Sinsuwong, the rally's leader, said the network wanted to show that sovereignty over the border area surrounding the temple belongs to Thais and that the ICJ has no jurisdiction over the area.
He said Thailand has rejected the court's jurisdiction in the dispute since 1962 when the court awarded ownership of the temple to Cambodia. The court decision did not take into account the disputed area around the temple.
Mr Chaiwat called on the government to withdraw from the hearings because this time Thailand could risk losing the border area.
Mr Chaiwat said if the government refuses to withdraw from the ICJ, the group will go ahead with its campaign to gather 5 million signatures objecting to the ICJ's hearings. He said more than 1.5 million people have now signed the petition and the network will travel to Bangkok to pressure the government.