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Hi there

I was a recent visitor to Cambodia...on a recent trip to Phnom Penh, I took an early morning flight to Bangkok. Got a tuk tuk out to the airport...One thing I noticed along the way, I am unsure as to what road it was...there were black uniformed guys lining the road, carrying what looked like automatic weapons with covers on...I was intrigued..where these just normal security guys guarding things like petrol stations and the like? Or something else??

Thanks in advance...

They were probably bodyguard unit, who are an elite army unit with about 3000 or so members. They have tanks, mobile rocket launchers etc and played a big role in the border dispute with Thailand a few years back.

^ this

They were probably lining the street as there was a motorcade of some important person coming by soon.

They do it all the time. It’s nothing to be alarmed about.

Thanks guys for your timely response..

You know its serious if they have their guns on display instead of in their covers, which I thibk I have only seen once outside HE residence. begs the question A) are the guns real and b) whats the point of having your gun in a zipped up cover? you will be dead before you get it out presumably?

Idk. But i reckon those guys can prolly pull the trigger without worrying about dropping their fly first!

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The covers are a relatively new thing, they only started using them quite a bit after the disturbances that followed the 2013 election. I'm not sure why they brought these cases into use, I believe it was a PR move as they don't look much different than tennis-racket covers in photos, also they prevent dust jamming up some sketchy Norinco gear.
All the security forces got bumped up around then, new tactical gear, knee & elbow pads, etc since then. I feel sorry for the footsoldiers who have to hang around in full body armor in the sweltering sun, apparently they get paid quite a bit more than any other army unit though. The security forces are much better equipped than they were 5 years ago. Even the traffic police have their body armor, they might not have the plates in all the time but they are ready. The old park-keepers who mutated into an intervention force now have tons of equipment too - trucks, armor and back-up. I thought the Water Festival was great this year for the amount of security deployed, the guns were out of the cases for that.

yes but thankfully the traffic police usually have empty holsters...
Not too sure you could fire those assault rifles in the case. probably jam if you can get your finger on the trigger, nowhere for spent cases to go and of course safety will be on

pczz wrote: ↑Fri Jan 19, 2018 11:17 pm yes but thankfully the traffic police usually have empty holsters...
Not too sure you could fire those assault rifles in the case. probably jam if you can get your finger on the trigger, nowhere for spent cases to go and of course safety will be on

They work pretty well as bludgeons too, or so I've heard.

Don’t forget all the MIB looking dudes during the water festival as well.

It was like the secret service was out in force and not a gun to be seen, although I’m sure they were all carrying.