The 9th Infantry Division ( th, กองพลทหารราบที่ 9) (พล.ร.๙.) also known as Black Panthers Division ( th, กองพลเสือดำ) 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 marine i ...

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 so ...

, it is currently a part of the First Army Area The unit is composed of the 9th Infantry Regiment, 19th Infantry Regiment and 29th Infantry Regiment. Queen's Cobras Conduct a Search and Sweep Mission in Phuoc Tho, 11-67 2

Queen's Cobras Conduct a Search and Sweep Mission in Phuoc Tho, 11-67 2

Black Panther convoy leaves Newport for Bearcat, July 1968

MPs escort Black Panther Division, July 1968

History

After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

ended in 1945, Vietnam announced that it would fight France for the liberation of Vietnam. The French colonies had to fight for 8 years until France accepted defeat and signed the Geneva Convention 1954 in Geneva. As a result, Vietnam was divided into two parts the

North Vietnam North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; vi, Việt Nam Dân chủ Cộng hòa), was a socialist state supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Southeast Asia that existed f ...

and

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...

with the 17th parallel as the boundary between the two Vietnams. Under the leadership of

Ho Chi Minh (: ; born ; 19 May 1890 – 2 September 1969), commonly known as ('Uncle Hồ'), also known as ('President Hồ'), (' Old father of the people') and by other aliases, was a Vietnamese revolutionary and statesman. He served as Prime ...

, who sought to reunite Vietnam, the North supported the

Viet Cong , , war = the Vietnam War , image = FNL Flag.svg , caption = The flag of the Viet Cong, adopted in 1960, is a variation on the flag of North Vietnam. Sometimes the lower stripe was green. , active ...

as it harassed and infiltrated South Vietnam. The

US government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a feder ...

sent troops to assist the South Vietnamese military in alliance with Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand with Spain sending a medical unit. At the beginning of the Vietnam war the Thai government approved the principle of sending military assistance to the Government of the Republic of Vietnam. A task force was set up, called the Royal Thai Volunteer Regiment, whose mission was to fight and carry out civic action programs to assist South Vietnam. Combat operations in Vietnam had the nickname "Cobra". Preparations went forward for rotating volunteer regiments, under a

Royal Thai Army Expeditionary Division The Royal Thai Army Volunteer Force ( th, กองพลทหารอาสาสมัคร), or the Black Panthers (กองพลเสือดำ) was a unit of the Royal Thai Army which served in the Vietnam War, replacing the Royal Th ...

. On 9 June 1971, the Royal Thai Army issued an order setting up at Lat Ya, Muang district, Kanchanaburi province a new division composed of the volunteers who fought in Vietnam called the 9th Infantry Division, the reason being the twenty-four anniversary of the coronation of His Majesty

King Bhumibol 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 ...

on 21 June 1974, the army has established the 9th Infantry Division also known as "Fort Kanchanaburi" or "Fort Surasi" in nowaday.

Vietnam War (1967-1972)

: see

Thailand in the Vietnam War The Kingdom of Thailand, under the administration of military dictator Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn, took an active role in the Vietnam War. Thailand was the third-largest provider of ground forces to South Vietnam, following the Americans an ...

The

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

, under the administration of military dictator Field Marshall

Thanom Kittikachorn Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn ( th, ถนอม กิตติขจร, ; 11 August 1911 – 16 June 2004) was the leader of Thailand from 1963 to 1973, during which he staged a self-coup, until public protests which exploded into viole ...

took an active role in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

. Thailand was the third-largest provider of ground forces to South Vietnam, following the Americans and South Koreans. Due to its proximity to Thailand,

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

's conflicts were closely monitored by Bangkok. Thai involvement did not become official until the total involvement of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

in support of South Vietnam in 1963. The Thai government then allowed the

United States Air Force in Thailand The United States Air Force (USAF) deployed combat aircraft to Thailand from 1960 to 1975 during the Vietnam War. Today, US military units train with other Asian militaries in Thailand. Royal Thai Air Force Bases are an important element in the P ...

to use its air and naval bases. At the height of the war, almost 50,000 American military personnel were stationed in Thailand, mainly airmen. In October 1967 the Royal Thai Volunteer Regiment (Queen's Cobras) was sent to Camp Bearcat at

Bien Hoa Bien may refer to: * Bien (newspaper) * Basic Income Earth Network * Bień, Poland {{disambiguation ...

, to fight alongside the Americans, Australians, New Zealanders and South Vietnamese. In 1968 the Cobras were replaced by the

("Black Panthers"). About 40,000 Thai military would serve in South Vietnam, with 351 killed in action and 1,358 wounded. The last Thai ground forces were withdrawn from South Vietnam on 5 February 1972.

East Timor (1999–2002)

After the

East Timor crisis The 2006 East Timorese crisis began as a conflict between elements of the military of East Timor over discrimination within the military and expanded to a coup attempt and general violence throughout the country, centred in the capital Dili. Th ...

, Thailand, with 28 other nations, provided troops for the International Force for East Timor or INTERFET. Thailand also provided the force commander, Lieutenant General Winai Phattiyakul.UNTAET
Un.org. Retrieved on 18 January 2012. The force was based in

Dili Dili (Portuguese/Tetum: ''Díli'') is the capital, largest city of East Timor and the second largest city in Timor islands after Kupang (Indonesia). It lies on the northern coast of the island of Timor, in a small area of flat land hemmed in ...

and lasted from 25 October 1999 to 20 May 2002.

Iraq War (2003–2004)

After the successful US invasion of Iraq, Thailand contributed 423 non-combat troops in August 2003 to nation building and medical assistance in post-Saddam Iraq. Troops of the Royal Thai Army were attacked in the

2003 Karbala bombings The 2003 Karbala bombings consisted of four suicide attacks on the coalition military barracks in Karbala, Iraq, south of Baghdad on December 27, 2003. The attackers targeted two coalition bases and a downtown Iraqi police station where U.S. m ...

, which killed two soldiers and wounded five others.Karbala attacks kill 12, wound dozens
CNN (27 December 2003). Retrieved on 2012-01-18. However, the Thai mission in Iraq was considered an overall success, and Thailand withdrew its forces in August 2004. The mission is considered the main reason the United States decided to designate Thailand as a

major non-NATO ally Major non-NATO ally (MNNA) is a designation given by the United States government to close allies that have strategic working relationships with the US Armed Forces but are not members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). While the s ...

in 2003.Thailand
centcom.mil

Operation Deployments

* In 1968-1970 Combat missions in South Vietnam ( Black Panther Division) Part of

* In 1972-1973 anti-communist operations

Phitsanulok Phitsanulok ( th, พิษณุโลก, ) is an important, historic city in lower northern Thailand and is the capital of Phitsanulok Province. Phitsanulok is home to Naresuan University and Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University, as well as ...

Loei Loei (; ) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in northeast Thailand. Loei covers the whole ''tambon'' of Mueang Loei district and is the capital of Loei province. In 2017, Loei had a population of 21,013. Loei lies 545 km north-northeast of Ba ...

Phetchabun Phetchabun is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in Thailand, capital of Phetchabun Province. It covers the ''tambon'' Nai Mueang of the Phetchabun District, along the Pa Sak River. As of 2005, it had a population of 23,823. Phetchabun lies north o ...

Operations Samchai (1972) Part of

Communist insurgency in Thailand The communist insurgency in Thailand was a guerrilla war lasting from 1965 until 1983, fought mainly between the Communist Party of Thailand (CPT) and the government of Thailand. The war began to wind down in 1980 following the declaration of an ...

* In 1973-1974 anti-communist operations

Chiang Rai Chiang Rai ( th, เชียงราย, ; nod, , เจียงฮาย, ) is the northernmost major city in Thailand, with a population of about 200,000 people. It is located in Mueang Chiang Rai District, Chiang Rai Province. Chiang Rai ...

Phayao Phayao () is a city (''thesaban mueang'') in northern Thailand, capital of Phayao Province. For administrative purposes the city is divided into 15 sub-districts (''tambons''), which are further subdivided into 172 administrative villages. The t ...

Nan Nan or NAN may refer to: Places China * Nan County, Yiyang, Hunan, China * Nan Commandery, historical commandery in Hubei, China Thailand * Nan Province ** Nan, Thailand, the administrative capital of Nan Province * Nan River People Given name ...

Part of

* In 1974-1981 anti-communist operations Phitsanulok Province Loei Province

Phetchabun Province Phetchabun ( th, เพชรบูรณ์, ) is one of Thailand's seventy-six provinces (''changwat'') lies in lower northern Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are (from north clockwise) Loei, Khon Kaen, Chaiyaphum, Lopburi, Nakhon Sawan, Phic ...

Part of

* In 1981-1982 The mission to protect the eastern border of the First Army Area in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province * In 1983-1984 Efforts to end the insurgency led to an amnesty being declared on 23 April 1980 when Prime Minister

Prem Tinsulanonda Prem Tinsulanonda ( th, เปรม ติณสูลานนท์, , ; 26 August 1920 – 26 May 2019) was a Thai military officer, politician, and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Thailand from 3 March 1980 to 4 August 1988, ...

signed

Order 66/2523 The Order of the Office of the Prime Minister No. 66/2523, often known simply as Order 66/2523 or Order 66/23, was a directive of the Thai government outlining key policies in the fight against the communist insurgency towards the end of the Cold W ...

. The order significantly contributed to the decline of the insurgency, as it granted amnesty to defectors and promoted political participation and democratic processes. By 1983, the insurgency had come to an end. Part of

* In 1988 In Sangkhla Buri District Anti-poaching sovereignty The race in

Payathonzu Payathonzu (; my, ဘုရားသုံးဆူမြို့ (Payathonzu Myo) is a town in the Karen State of south Myanmar, close to the border with Thailand. It is separated from the Thai border township of Nong Lu by the Three Pagodas ...

* In 1989-1999

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

Separate units of the

United Nations Command United Nations Command (UNC or UN Command) is the multinational military force established to support the South Korea, Republic of Korea (South Korea) during and after the Korean War. It was the first international unified command in history, an ...

* In 1995–present Western Border Protection Kanchanaburi Province to Prachuap Khiri Khan Province * In 1999 Humanitarian Operation in East Timor Part

International Force East Timor The International Force East Timor (INTERFET) was a multinational non-United Nations peacemaking task force, organised and led by Australia in accordance with United Nations resolutions to address the humanitarian and security crisis that took ...

1999 East Timorese crisis The 1999 East Timorese crisis began with attacks by pro-Indonesia militia groups on civilians, and expanded to general violence throughout the country, centred in the capital Dili. The violence intensified after a majority of eligible East Timo ...

* In 2003 Humanitarian Operation in Iraq.

Thai Humanitarian Assistance Task Force 976 Thai-Iraq The Task Force 976 Thai-Iraq ( th, กองกำลังเฉพาะกิจ 976 ไทย-อิรัก) (กกล.ฉก ๙๗๖) was a military unit of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, it was a part of the Multi-National Force – Ira ...

part of

Multi-National Force – Iraq The Multi-National Force – Iraq (MNF–I), often referred to as the Coalition forces, was a military command during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and much of the ensuing Iraq War, led by the United States of America ( Operation Iraqi Freedom), Unit ...

Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...

* In 2004–present facing an Islamist insurgency in Southern Insurgency

Organization

9th Infantry Division Headquarters

* 9th Infantry Division ** 9th Infantry Regiment *** 1st Infantry Battalion *** 2nd Infantry Battalion *** 3rd Infantry Battalion ** 19th Infantry Regiment *** 1st Infantry Battalion *** 2nd Infantry Battalion *** 3rd Infantry Battalion ** 29th Infantry Regiment *** 1st Infantry Battalion *** 2nd Infantry Battalion *** 3rd Infantry Battalion ** 9th Field Artillery Regiment *** 9th Field Artillery Battalion *** 19th Field Artillery Battalion *** 109th Field Artillery Battalion ** Service Support Regiment *** Transportation Battalion *** Maintenance Battalion *** Combart Medical Battalion ** 19th Cavalry Squadron ** 9th Combat Engineer Battalion ** 9th Signal Corp Battalion ** 9th Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols Company ** Military Police Company ** 9th Aviation Company ** 14th Ranger Forces Regiment ** 17th Military Circle ** Fort Surasi Hospital

References

{{Reflist Infantry divisions of Thailand Military units and formations of Thailand in the Vietnam War Military units and formations established in 1968 Multinational force involved in the Iraq War