The Royal Thai Army is responsible for protecting the kingdom's sovereignty. The army was formed in 1874, partly as a response to new security threats following the 1855 Bowring Treaty with Britain, which opened the country for international trade.[2]
On 22 May 2014 the army deposed the government, appointed military officers to the national assembly, and on 21 August 2014 they elected the army's Commander in Chief, General Prayut Chan-o-cha, as prime minister. The general retired October 2014[6] to concentrate on political reform which he said would take at least a year, following which he promised national elections would be held.[7]
The existence of an information warfare unit participating in a cyber campaign against government critics was leaked to the public in late February 2020.[8]
In 2020 Twitter shut down a network of accounts which were engaged in information warfare. According to Twitter "Our investigation uncovered a network of accounts partaking in information operations that we can reliably link to the Royal Thai Army (RTA)."[9] The operation had targeted the political opposition within Thailand. The Thai Army denied that they had been involved in the disinformation operation.[10]
The number of army generals is unclear. One point of comparison: as of 1 November 2019, the US Army had 322 general officers[11]: 2 for a force of 471,990 troops.[12] Saiyud Kerdphol is Thailand's oldest general, a veteran of World War II and Korea who retired in 1983 as supreme commander. During his tenure, general officer numbers were based on the number of troops under their command. As of 2019[update], only 150–200 four-star generals occupy command positions. Speaking on the topic of army manpower, Saiyud declared that, "Everybody being a general is unbelievable. Full generals don't have a seat to sit in or a job to do."[13]
Command and control
General Charoenchai Hinthao in 2024
The commanders-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army (ผู้บัญชาการทหารบกไทย) is considered the most powerful position in the Royal Thai Armed Forces.[14] With effect from 1 October 2023, the commander will be General Jaroenchai Hintao.
Commander-in-Chief: General Jaroenchai Hintao from 1 October 2023
Deputy Commander-in-Chief: General Suksan Nongbualang from 1 October 2023
Chairman of the Royal Thai Army Advisory Board: General Kittisak Boonphrathammachai from 1 October 2023
Assistant Commander-in-Chief: General Ukrit Boontanon from 1 October 2023
Assistant Commander-in-Chief: General Tharapong Malakham from 1 October 2023
Chief of Staff of the Army: General Pana Klaewblaudtuk from 1 October 2023
Commander of the 1st Army Area: Lieutenant General Chitsanupong Rodsiri from 1 October 2023
Commander of the 2nd Army Area: Lieutenant General Adul Boonthamcharoen from 1 October 2023
Commander of the 3rd Army Area: Lieutenant General Prasarn Saengsirirak from 1 October 2023
Commander of the 4th Army Area: Lieutenant General Shanti Shakuntanak from 1 October 2022
Commander of the Royal Thai Army Special Warfare Command: Lieutenant General Wattana Chatratanasang from 1 October 2023
Structure
The army is organized nationally into four army areas:
11th Infantry Regiment, King's GuardRoyal Thai Army welcome members of Cobra Gold 2016
First Army Area - (Thai: กองทัพภาคที่ 1) – headquartered in Bangkok, controls troops in 26 provinces in central, eastern, western Thailand and Bangkok.[15]
310th Military District - (Thai: มณฑลทหารบกที่ 310)
4th Army Area (Thai: กองทัพภาคที่ 4) – headquartered in Nakhon Si Thammarat, responsible for southern Thailand, it is the area that serves as the frontine command for those engaged in South Thailand insurgency. Leaked diplomatic cables from 2006 said: "Military forces totaling approximately 35,000 troops fall under the command of the 4th Army....the 5th Inf Div and the 15th Development Division (three regiments) totaling approximately 20,000 troops are the main units of the 4th Army."
24th Signal Corp Battalion - (Thai: กองพันทหารสื่อสารที่ 24 กองบัญชาการช่วยรบที่ 4)
4th Development Division - (Thai: กองพลพัฒนาที่ 4) – US State Department cables leaked by Wikileaks in 2006 said: "The Development Division is itself a traditionally 'static unit' that provides engineering, construction and other support to local communities in the South. It is not formally charged with security operations. Indeed, Development Division officers were very proud in stating that they have better relations with the locals than other security elements — and have not been attacked while engaged in construction or relief efforts."[16]
4th Special Forces Regiment (Airborne) - (Thai: กรมรบพิเศษที่4)
5th Special Forces Regiment (Airborne) - (Thai: กรมรบพิเศษที่5)
The creation of the 15th Infantry Division was announced in January 2005.[18] Defence Minister, General Samphan Boonyanan, was quoted as saying that the new unit, dubbed the "Development Division", would not be a combat unit for fighting Islamic militants, but rather its main mission would be to assist local citizens and develop the region. The military will not ignore its general function of providing safety for the citizens of the region, he added. He said that troops for the new division would undergo training to give them a good understanding of local residents, the vast majority of whom are ethnic Malay Muslims. The division is in fact a transformation of the Pranburi-based 16th Infantry Division. It will now be headquartered at Fort Ingkhayutthaborihan in Pattani, complete with its battalions and companies of military police and communications and aviation personnel, he said. It will also have three separate infantry battalions, one each in Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat. Each battalion will include three companies of medical, engineering, and psychological warfare personnel, he said. The government will allocate a budget of more than 18 billion baht for the division over the next four years.[19]
The 15th Infantry Division is being established as a permanent force to handle security problems in the Deep South. The division is based in Pattani and is expected to have a combined force of around 10,000. The establishment of this new division, approved by the government in 2005, has yet to be completed. As of this writing, some 7,000 troops deployed in the Deep South are affiliated to this division."[20] In 2012, two new combat formations had been approved by the thai government. The new 7th Infantry Division is based at Mae Rim, near Chiang Mai, and the new 3rd Cavalry Division is based at Khon Kaen.[21]
Tactical units
The army is organised into the following formations:
Nine infantry divisions (including 16 tank battalions)
One armoured division
Three cavalry divisions (light armoured divisions)
The Army Tactical Level Advanced Simulation (ATLAS) is an interactive, distributed, constructive simulation used to conduct military Command Post Exercises (CPX). ATLAS displays a continuous terrain model, incorporates HLA 1516, and displays 1:250,000 and 1:50,000 maps and satellite imagery. ATLAS was developed between 2002 and 2005 through co-operation with the Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC).
Army Medical Department (AMED) (กรมแพทย์ทหารบก) belongs to the service segment of the Royal Thai Army. It is in charge of medical affairs, and providing medical care, both in the field and on base, training personnel in research and agriculture and supervising the other medical divisions within the Royal Thai Army.
AMED observed 111 years of service in January 2011,[22] with 110 years of service having been honoured by issue of a series of commemorative stamps.[23] AMED operates Phramongkutklao Hospital in Bangkok and Ananda Mahidol Hospital in Lopburi, along with smaller hospitals at each fort, as well as Phramongkutklao College of Medicine (PCM).
Air Division
Thai army infantrymen board a RTA UH-1 Iroquois helicopter, 1992UH-60L Black Hawk during air show at Don Mueang Air Force BaseMil Mi-17 V5 during air show at Don Mueang Air Force Base
Units include the VIP squadron, flying two Embraer ERJ-135LRs (serial number 1084/HS-AMP and serial number 1124), two Jetstream 41s (serial numbers 41060 and 41094), two Casa 212–300s (serial numbers 446 and 447), and two Beech 1900C-1s (serial numbers 0169 and 0170) and the 1st Infantry Battalion operating two Bell 206Bs (serial numbers 4422 and 4448), three Schweizer S-300Cs (serial numbers 1340, 1366 and 1367), and two Cessna U-17B FAC aircraft (serial numbers 1616 and 1617).
The Royal Squadron flies three Bell 212s and two Bell 412s (serial numbers 36332 and 36333). There is also a special transport unit flying around 10–12 Bell 212s and one or two Bell 206s.
UH-60L Black Hawk during air show at Don Mueang Air Force Base
The 9th Infantry Division operates two Bell 206Bs (the serial number of one is 4424), and two or three Schweizer S-300Cs. There is also a detachment of UH-1Hs from an Air Mobility Company based here.
The "2nd Infantry Division, Queen Sirikit's Guard", was operating two Bell 206Bs (serial numbers 4446 and 4361), three Schweizer S-300Cs (serial numbers 1343, 1344, and 1345), and two Maule MX-7s (one serial number known is 099) in 2004, however it is likely the Maule MX-7s may now not be operated by this unit now. A detachment of this unit (with, in 1998, one Bell 206 and one Maule MX-7) was operating from Watthana Nakhon (VTBW) near the Cambodian border.
AH-1F Cobra attack helicopter during air show at Don Mueang Air Force Base
The main flying unit here is the 3rd Infantry Battalion flying two Bell 206Bs (serial numbers 4396 and 4447), two Schweizer S-300Cs (serial numbers 1337 and 1339), and two Cessna U-17Bs (serial numbers 1454 and 1618).
This field also hosts a detachment of up to three Bell 212 helicopters from one of the Air Mobility Companies.
Fort Princess Srinagarindra (Lopburi), the main base complex of Royal Thai Army Aviation, including training, technical school, aircraft maintenance, and aircraft storage. The main airfield here is called Sa Pran Nak (VTBH).
Runways 01/19 3,300 x 98 feet (1,006 x 30 metres) and 06/24 3,890 x 98 feet (1,186 x 30 metres)
Operating units here include:
Gong Bin Bau ( Light Aviation Company ) – operating Cessna U-17Bs, Cessna T-41s, and Searcher MKIIs
Gong Bin Pee-ak Moon Tee Nung ( 1st Air Mobility Company ) – operating Bell UH-1Hs and Bell 212s
Gong Bin Pee-ak Moon Tee Song ( 2nd Air Mobility Company ) – operating Bell UH-1Hs (US Excess Defense Articles Program) and Bell 212s
Gong Bin Pee-ak Moon Tee Sam ( 3rd Air mobility Company ) – operating Bell UH-1Hs, Bell 206Bs, Bell AH-1F Huey Cobras (eight) and Bell 212s
Gong Bin Pee-ak Moon Tee Gou (pasom) ( 9th Air Mobility Company ) [Mixed]) – operating Bell UH-1Hs (US Excess Defense Articles Program) and Sikorsky S-70-43 Black Hawks (six) with six more on order.
Gong Bin Sanub-sanoon Tua Pai (General Support Aviation Battalion) – operating Boeing CH-47D Chinooks, Bell UH-1Hs, and Mil Mi-17V5s
The army aviation centre is based here, which conducts conversion training for the army. Types operated are Cessna T-41Bs (ex-US army surplus), Maule MX-7s, and Schweizer S-300C piston trainer helicopters.
The two former VIP Beechcraft 200 King Air aeroplanes (serial numbers 0342 and 1165), are also based here. Their present role is unknown. These aeroplanes were modified in the US in the late 1990s.
A separate airfield within the Lopburi complex (around 3 km south of Sa Pran Nak) houses the 5th Aircraft Maintenance Company. This unit is responsible for maintenance and storage of army aircraft and helicopters.
The 5th Infantry Division operates the following aviation assets from a small airfield within the army reserve at Nakhon Si Thammarat (not at the airport): two Bell 206B-3s (serial numbers 4382 and 4427), three Schweizer TH-300Cs (serial numbers 1371, 1372, and 1373) and two Maule MX-7s (serial numbers 114 and 115). A detachment of helicopters can be found here from the Air Mobility Companies based at Lopburi.
Military districts
The army is divided into districts, whereby the first digit of the district indicates the army (first, second, third or fourth) responsible for its supervision. The names of forts are from locations or influential figures in Thailand's history. These are as follows:
The RTA budget for FY2021 is 107,662 million baht, down from 112,815M baht in FY2020.[24]
List of military engagements
Army of Thailand in Haw wars (1875)The Siamese Expeditionary Force in Paris, 1919Thailand soldiers arriving at BusanFive statues honour the army, navy, air force, police, and populace at Victory Monument.Thai soldiers wash in a small pool during a break in operations, Nhon Trac, 19 October 1967Military Police stop traffic to allow the 2+1⁄2-ton trucks carrying members of the Black Panther Division to leave Newport Docks, en route to Bearcat, 22 July 1968
The army owns more than 30 golf courses nationwide. The army also owns boxing stadium, 100 petrol stations, racecourses, hotels, retail and coffee shops, and radio and television airwaves (by one count, the armed forces have ownership in 537 radio and TV stations).[26] In early 2020, the army entered an agreement with the Finance Ministry to turn over to the ministry the management of businesses unrelated to the army's mission.[27][28][29] In a related move, army commander General Apirat Kongsompong decreed that retired generals must move out of army-owned housing to free space for serving officers. As of 2020[update], about 100 retired generals and colonels inhabit army accommodations.[30] Some ex-generals, like PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan were exempted immediately from eviction because of their "contribution to society".[31] The Thai Defence Ministry position is that there is no law prohibiting retired officers from occupying military housing.[32]
In January 2021, the RTA signed a memorandum of understanding with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) to study the feasibility of constructing solar farms on 4.5 million rai of army land to generate 30,000 megawatts of electricity. Following up, on 22 February 2021 a meeting was called by the President of Royal Thai Army Radio and Television Channel 5 with energy firms interested in winning a piece of what is projected to be a 600 billion baht project. The Energy Ministry was not represented at the meeting. Critics have questioned why the army is involved in energy procurement, in contravention of existing regulations, and why Thailand needs more electricity when it already has 59% reserve capacity and more capacity under construction.[33]
Thailand
General Charoenchai Hinthao
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