THAI ARMY ADVANCES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 9, 11 January 1941, Page 10

THAI ARMY ADVANCES

FRENCH WITHDRAWAL

AIR FORCE REPRISALS

LONDON, January 10

The Thai army is advancing steadily into Cambodia, states a message from Bangkok. According to a communique the French have abandoned their defence lines and withdrawn into the interior. Thai aircraft dropped bombs on Sisophon and another border town, killing two and wounding 11 persons. The French air force carried out severe reprisals on various parts of the Thai territory.

The Hanoi correspondent of the Domei news agency reports that the French authorities admit that superior Thai troops captured the border town of Poipet on Tuesday and that the French retired 30 miles towards Sisophon. A Shanghai message says it is learned that Poipet has only two buildings, namely, a Customs shed and a passport office. The normal population comprises four Frenchmen and a dozen natives. There are no defences.

The Thai High Command announced that French planes attempted to attack Bangkok at 1.30 a.m., and said: "Our air force will carry out reprisal bombings on Dalat, Phomphen, and Saigon."

LONDON, January 10

Hostilities between Thailand and French Indo-China have flared up again, and the Thai authorities announced today that they are to make reprisal air raids. They declared that French planes last night tried unsuccessfully to raid Bangkok and two other towns. In retaliation Thailand planes are to make day and night attacks on three Indo-China towns, including Saigon. The Indo-China authorities report that the attack on Sisophon was con-^ fined to a hospital.

On land the Thailand authorities claim that their forces have attacked the defences in the eastern sector and have seized several enemy positions. It is added that the French lost Moroccan troops in the fighting and left large quantities of arms.