Historically, the Royal Thai Army originated alongside the “Tai sovereignty” during the first Tai settlement in the Indochinese peninsula prior to the birth Sukhothai dynasty.  Prevalent colonization campaigns by Western powers brought about territorial warfare with victorious conquerors expanding their supremacy.  Armed forces became a necessity for a nation to withstand invading forces.

The RTA has steadily evolved and grown from the ancient Sukhothai era to the Ayutthaya era to the Thon Buri era until the present-day Ratthanagosin era.  Following are the chronology of the origin and development of the RTA.

The Sukhotai Era (1257 – 1438)

The Tai territories during the Sukhothai period stretched far and wide in all directions particularly during the reign of the renowned King Ramkhamhaeng the Great.  Through a formidable warrior, the great king introduced the paternalistic system, maintaining a father-son relationship with his subjects and seeing to their problems and needs.  In peacetime, soldiers became law-abiding citizens.  In war-time, all able-bodied men were enlisted in defense of the country.  The smallest military units then consisted of the heads of families commanding their respective household members.  The King would assume the role of supreme commander leading his military  units to confront enemy troops.

The Ayutthaya Era (1350-1767)

During the Ayutthaya period, improvements were made on military organizations with the introduction of more efficient enlistment systems and more effective fighting tactics.  For the first time, the military and civilian affairs became two distinct entities, marking the birth of the Military Personnel Department (“Pra Suraswadee”), tasked with armed forces registrations for a more efficient conscription in time of war.  Eighteen-year-old able-bodied men were to report for military duty for a period of six months annually.

In wartime, warlords were tasked with mobilizing men under their control to reinforce the Armed Forces.  The King, supreme commander of the armed forces, would appoint members of the royal family and trusted noblemen as top generals and commanders of lower echelons in the chain of command.

The “Pichai Songkram” manual, detailing military tactics and steps towards a decisive victory, was first published.  The book comprises chapters on army organizations, force deployment, camp-pitching techniques as well as other battlefields maneuvers.

The Thon Buri Era (1767-1782)

In 1967, King Taksin established Thon Buri as the capital replacing the war-ravaged Ayutthaya in a move to restore Thai sovereignty following a victorious do-or-die battle for independence.  The valiant king further developed different aspects of the Thai military, particularly launching a systemic registration for military service.  While the long-standing conscription of able-bodied men for military service remind place, the brief reign of the awe-inspiring king  saw a precise documentation of all potential soldiers ready for mobilization, command and control in time of war.  King Taksin was also intensely keen on arming his soldiers with modern weaponry like muskets  and cannons, a large number of them being locally made.  The astute king thus enhanced his soldiers patriotic commitment as well as their warfare capability.

The Early Ratthanagosin Era (1782-1868) during the this period the armed forces organization was comparable with those of the Ayutthaya  and Thon Buri periods.  For nearly two decades (1833-1853) Thai sovereignty was increasingly threatened by Western powers launching colonization campaigns.  Thailand thus resorted to stockpiling arms and ammunition, producing a large number of cannons, building warships, fortifying the capital and towns with fortresses and moats in a move to deter would-be aggressors.

Early Modernization Period threatened by mid-Rattanagosin colonial campaign, Thailand launched its armed forces modernizations in earnest, especially its defense capability.  The effective modernization process extensively implemented made Thailand the sole Southeast Asian country not colonized by western powers.  The RTA developed by leaps and bounds during King Rama V’s reign (1868-1910).  The effective modernization of the armed forces was patterned after the advance European military.  There have been increasing procurements of modern  military hardware, including howitzers and a host of state-of-the-art military equipment.  The 1887 Military Act has became the foundation of ensuing RTA modernization projects today.  The Chulachonklao Royal Military Academy and the Royal Thai Navy came into existence during  King Rama V’s reign.

Royal Thai Army Involvement in Wars the RTA had made a name for its involvement in the theaters  of World War I and World War II.  Just as World War II was raging on in Europe, the RTA was dragged into the Thai-Indochina conflict which escalated into confrontation, and then into an all-out war along the Indochina border.  The RTA had also dispatched a contingent of combat force to South Korea in 1950 to help deter North Korea aggression.  In 1967, Thai forces landed in South Vietnam to help defend its sovereignty as its communist North counterpart was stepping up its reunification campaign. The Queen’s Cobra Regiment and Black Panther Divisions were internationally acclaimed fo0r their battlecraft  and valor in the Fouk to and loc ann battles. In all these wars. The Thai troops had bravely demonstrated their combat capability such that Thailand has became better known internationally.

Royla Thai Army Today the RTA is primarily tasked with national defense as stipulated in the Constitution which reads in part:

“The state shall maintain armed forces tasked with safeguarding Thai sovereignty providing security for the state and all its national interests, deploying armed forces to battle zone, protecting and depending the Monarchy, upholding a democratic system of government, and when needed participating in national development”…

To achieve its objectives, the RTA has to maintain and develop all aspects of its strategic capability namely: Land forces preparation and employment of forces for national development to perpetuate Thai sovereignty: To assist and support of government with the King as the projects: and to promote a democratic system of government with the King as the Head of State: and help maintain support peace and stability in the region.