The 1st Division, King's Guard ( th, กองพลที่ 1 รักษาพระองค์) (พล.๑ รอ.) is an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

of the

Royal Thai Army The Royal Thai Army or RTA ( th, กองทัพบกไทย; ) is the army of Thailand and the oldest and largest branch of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. History Origin The Royal Thai Army is responsible for protecting the kingdom's ...

, it is currently a part of the 1st Army Area. King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) founded the division in 1905. The Royal Command of King

Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...

(Rama IX) designated the division as a

King's Guard The King's Guard and King's Life Guard (called the Queen's Guard and the Queen's Life Guard when the reigning monarch is female) are the contingents of infantry and cavalry soldiers charged with guarding the official royal residences in the ...

unit in 1973. The division comprises one

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

and four attachment units, the 31st Infantry Regiment, King's Guard. The division and its subsidiary units are mostly based in or around

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

. The 31st Regiment is garrisoned in

Lopburi Lopburi ( th, ลพบุรี, , ) is the capital city of Lopburi Province in Thailand. It is about northeast of Bangkok. It has a population of 58,000. The town (''thesaban mueang'') covers the whole ''tambon'' Tha Hin and parts of Th ...

History

Field Marshal HRH Prince Chirapravati Voradej

The command of King Chulalongkorn formed the division in 1905 on the recommendation of the Prince Chirapravati Voradej, the director of operations of the Ministry of Defence. The Prince wanted to organize the Siamese army on European lines, comprising at least ten army divisions. By 1906, the 1st Division became fully recruited and garrisoned in Bangkok. In 1908, the army was once again reorganized, by this date the division was made up of five units (1st Infantry Regiment, King's Own Bodyguard, 2nd Infantry Regiment (the name later changed to 11th Infantry), 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Artillery Battery and the 1st Engineer Regiment). The 1st Division was then given the responsibility of protecting the king, his Grand Palace, the royal capital and the surrounding Menam basin. In the early hours of 24 June 1932, a revolution broke out in Bangkok. The

Khana Ratsadon The People's Party, known in Thai as Khana Ratsadon ( th, คณะราษฎร, ), was a Siamese group of military and civil officers, and later a political party, which staged a bloodless revolution against King Prajadhipok's government a ...

(a group of disgruntled military officers and civilians) staged a

coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...

to replace the absolute rule of King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) with a

constitutional monarchy A constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in decision making. Constitutional monarchies dif ...

. The conspirators began by arresting key military personnel in the capital, including the Commander of the 1st Infantry Division; Phraya Saena Sonogram (

Mom Rajawongse The precedence of Thai royalty follows a system of ranks known as ''thanandon'' ( th, ฐานันดร), which are accompanied by royal titles. The Sovereign There are two styles which can be used for a king in ordinary speech, depending on ...

Ei Noppawong) at his private residence. A scuffle ensued and an unnamed Lieutenant shot and wounded the resisting commander. Sometime later, a Major Luang Kraichingrit (Puth Vinitchaikul) of the King's Own Bodyguards ordered a company of troops towards the Makawan bridge to resist the coup; however, by that time the revolution was a fait accompli and the troops were ordered to return to their barracks. Other than this one incidence of violence, the revolution was carried out smoothly without further bloodshed. The King complied with the Khana Ratsadon's demands and Siam was granted its first Constitution in December of the same year. As a result of the coup, the new administration temporarily dissolved all formations above

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...

level, including the 1st Infantry Division. During the

Franco-Thai War The Franco-Thai War (October 1940 – January 28, 1941, th, กรณีพิพาทอินโดจีน, Krṇī phiphāth xindocīn; french: Guerre franco-thaïlandaise) was fought between History of Thailand (1932–1973), Thailand an ...

of 1940-1941, the division's former components incorporated the Burapha Army (Eastern army) on the orders of Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram. The division took part in the army's objectives of retaking the French Indochinese provinces of Sisophon and

Battambang Battambang ( km, បាត់ដំបង, UNGEGN: ) is the capital of Battambang Province and the third largest city in Cambodia. Founded in the 11th century by the Khmer Empire, Battambang is the leading rice-producing province of the coun ...

(now in modern-day

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...

). After this brief conflict, the Burapha Army formation disbanded and the 1st Infantry Division commenced in 1942. In 1948, the division moved into a permanent headquarters next to the Suan Kularb Mansion of the

Dusit Palace Dusit Palace ( th, พระราชวังดุสิต, RTGS: ''Phra Ratcha Wang Dusit'') is a compound of royal residences in Bangkok, Thailand. Constructed over a large area north of Rattanakosin Island between 1897 and 1901 by King C ...

. In 1956, the Royal Thai Army reorganized and the 1st Infantry Division came under the command of the First Army Area. In 1958, the division, in full, took part in the Royal guards parade to celebrate the birthday of King

. Since that year, the division have taken part in the organizing and performing of the ceremony until the present day. On 2 April 1973, Royal Command designated the 1st Infantry Division as a

unit and changed its name to '1st Division, King's Guard', the first of its kind. On 1 October 2019, 1st Infantry Regiment and 11th Infantry Regiment was put under the command of the Royal Security Command.

Current composition

* 31st Infantry Regiment, King Bhumibol's Guard (

Airborne infantry Airborne forces, airborne troops, or airborne infantry are ground combat units carried by aircraft and airdropped into battle zones, typically by parachute drop or air assault. Parachute-qualified infantry and support personnel serving in ai ...

Rapid deployment force A rapid deployment force is a military formation that is capable of fast deployment. Such forces typically consist of elite military units ( special forces, paratroopers, marines, etc.) and are usually trained at a higher intensity than the rest ...

) ** 1st Infantry Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, King Bhumibol's Guard ** 2nd Infantry Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, King Bhumibol's Guard ** 3rd Infantry Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, King Bhumibol's Guard * 1st Field Artillery Regiment, King's Guard ** 1st Field Artillery Battalion, 1st Field Artillery Regiment, King's Guard. ** 11th Field Artillery Battalion, 1st Field Artillery Regiment, King's Guard. ** 31st Field Artillery Battalion, 1st Field Artillery Regiment, King's Guard. * 4th Tank Battalion, 1st Division, King's Guard * 1st Combat Engineer Battalion * 1st Signal Battalion, King's Guard * 1st Medical Battalion * 1st Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols Company *1st Calvary Reconnaissance Squadron *Headquarters Company *Military Police Company *Service Company *Quartermaster Division *Light Ordnance Division

References

External links

Official website of the 1st Infantry Division, King's Guard

Thailand Political Base: กองพลที่ 1 รักษาพระองค์ (Thai)
{Dead link, date=May 2022 , bot=InternetArchiveBot , fix-attempted=yes King's Guard units of Thailand Military units and formations established in 1905 1905 establishments in Siam

History

Current composition

See also

References

External links