The Thai rank of Field Marshal ( th, จอมพล, จอมพลทหารบก, Chom Phon) is the most senior rank 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 ...
. Today it is ceremonially held by members of the
Thai royal family
The Chakri dynasty ( th, ราชวงศ์ จักรี, , , ) is the current reigning dynasty of the Kingdom of Thailand, the head of the house is the king, who is head of state. The family has ruled Thailand since the founding of the ...
and exists only on paper in the Thai military. It has not been awarded to a regular commissioned officer since 1973. The
Royal Thai Navy
The Royal Thai Navy ( Abrv: RTN, ทร.; th, กองทัพเรือไทย, ) is the naval warfare force of Thailand. Established in 1906, it was modernised by the Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartiwongse (1880–1923) who is known a ...
equivalent is known as ''
Chom Phon Ruea'' ('Admiral of the Fleet') and ''
Chom Phon Akat'' ('Marshal of the Royal Thai Air Force') for the
Royal Thai Air Force
"Royal Thai Air Force March"
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 9 April 1937 (Royal Thai Air Force Day)
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
, battles ...
.
The
King of Thailand
The monarchy of Thailand (whose monarch is referred to as the king of Thailand; th, พระมหากษัตริย์ไทย, or historically, king of Siam; th, พระมหากษัตริย์สยาม) refers to the c ...
as
head of the armed forces is automatically made a ''Chom Phon'' upon
accession. The rank was formally created in 1888, together with all
other ranks of the military by King
Chulalongkorn
Chulalongkorn ( th, จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V. He was known to the Siamese of his time as ''Phra Phuttha Chao Luang'' (พร ...
(Rama V), who wanted to modernize his
armed forces
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
along Western lines. Apart from the monarchs, there have been 13 appointments to this rank.
Supreme Head of the Army
List of field marshals
See also
*
Military ranks of the Thai armed forces
The Military ranks of Thailand are the military insignia used by the Royal Thai Armed Forces. The officer ranks are influenced by the ranks of the United States, while the other ranks are influenced by those of France.
Royal Thai Army Officers
...
**
Admiral of the Fleet (Thailand) (Chom Phon Ruea): equivalent rank in the
Royal Thai Navy
The Royal Thai Navy ( Abrv: RTN, ทร.; th, กองทัพเรือไทย, ) is the naval warfare force of Thailand. Established in 1906, it was modernised by the Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartiwongse (1880–1923) who is known a ...
**
Marshal of the Royal Thai Air Force (Chom Phon Akat): equivalent rank in the
Royal Thai Air Force
"Royal Thai Air Force March"
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 9 April 1937 (Royal Thai Air Force Day)
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
, battles ...
*
Field marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...
*
List of field marshals
This is a list of the officers who have held the army rank of field marshal or marshal. It does not include air force marshals.
Afghanistan
* HM Nasrullah Khan (1875–1920)
* 2004 - Mohammed Fahim (1957–2014)
* 2020 - Abdul Rashid Dostum ( ...
*
Head of the Royal Thai Armed Forces
The Highest Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces ( th, จอมทัพไทย; ) is a position vested in the Thai monarch, who as sovereign and head of state is the commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Armed Forces.
The position is only ...
References
{{Military of Thailand
*
Chom phon
The Thai rank of Field Marshal ( th, จอมพล, จอมพลทหารบก, Chom Phon) is the most senior rank of the Royal Thai Army. Today it is ceremonially held by members of the Thai royal family and exists only on paper in the ...
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 ...