Due to delays in authorisation by Percival and in the forwarding of his order, the need to reorganise the troops for Krohcol instead of Matador, and resistance from Thai policemen the Kroh column did not reach the Ledge in time.

Destruction of the Ledge would effectively block the road from Pattani, thereby ensuring the security of 11th Indian Infantry Division's lines of communication and retreat.

[6] Krohcol was under its designated strength and delayed due to a second battalion the 5/14th Punjab Regiment and a light artillery battery failing to arrive on time.

The column's objective was a six-mile (10 km) stretch of road cut through a steep hillside and bounded on the other side by sheer drop into a river and known as The Ledge.

[2] Royal Thai Police Opposing this Commonwealth invasion force was the resistance of the policemen and volunteers from Betong under Major Prayoon Rattanakit, who caused further delays to the column.

[1] IJA 5th Infantry Division Krohcol crossed the frontier some 14 hours after the Japanese landings at Kota Bharu, and met opposition force from Thai policemen and civilian volunteers led by Major Prayoon Rattanakit, police commissioner of the town of Betong.

At the Thai-Malay border the first Sepoy to cross the customs barrier was shot dead by armed Thai Constabulary[7]This force harassed the British column from the safety of the surrounding forests and felled rubber trees across the narrow road, slowing down the progress of the Bren gun carriers.

The Japanese 42nd Regiment of the 5th Division with two companies of light tanks, which had landed at Pattani at 03:00, won the race, reaching the Ledge at midday on 10 December.

On rounding the bend, Charlton discovered a Japanese tank a short distance ahead and the mortar section of A Company in a heavy firefight.

By midnight on 10 December Lt Col Stokes with 5/14th Punjab and the 10th Mountain Battery transported by 2/3rd Australian MT Company had arrived at Kroh.

[2] The situation on the morning of 11 December was that Moorhead held the bridge at km 37 (25 miles north of Betong), but he had lost complete contact with A and D Companies.

[12] The NCO reported that on the previous day, A Company had advanced 700 yards (640 m) beyond the bridge when they had spotted Japanese tanks and infantry coming from the Ledge position.

Khan was almost immediately severely wounded, but kneeling beside the road, he continued to give encouragement to his men, and the Japanese retreated in complete disorder, leaving a number of casualties.

[2] Moorhead was forced to make a fighting retreat back to Betong throughout 12 December, where they passed through Lt. Col. Stokes' 5/14th Punjab, which was digging in and preparing defences.

Betong was re-occupied, and the force under Prayoon began taking punitive actions against the local Chinese, who were believed to have greeted Krohcol flying the Union Jack as well as the Kuomintang flag.

A local Indian accused of volunteering his services (as a guide) to Krohcol was tracked down, cornered, and shot dead by a group of vengeful Thais.

One of the other columns, consisting of 200 truck-borne troops from the 1/8th Punjabis, and a section of the 273rd Anti-Tank Battery all under the command of Major E.R.Andrews,[2] had crossed the Thai border at the same time as Krohcol.

The column, named Laycol after Brigadier William Lay, commander of the 6th Indian Infantry Brigade, crossed the frontier at 17:30 on 8 December 1941 and moved towards Songkhla to harass and delay the enemy.

The two leading tanks were knocked out by the anti-tank guns, but the Japanese infantry quickly debussed and started an enveloping movement around the flanks of the Punjabis.

This armoured train reached Khlong Ngae, in southern Thailand, and successfully destroyed a 200-foot (60 m) bridge before withdrawing back to Padang Besar.