The Ministry of Defence ( Abrv: MOD; th, กระทรวงกลาโหม, ), is a

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

-level government department of the Kingdom of Thailand. The ministry controls and manages the

Royal Thai Armed Forces The Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) ( th, กองทัพไทย; ) are the armed forces of the Kingdom of Thailand. The nominal head of the Thai Armed Forces (จอมทัพไทย; ) is the King of Thailand. The armed forces are ...

to maintain national security, territorial integrity, and national Defence. The armed forces of Thailand are composed of three branches: 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 ...

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 as ...

, and

Royal Thai Air Force "Royal Thai Air Force March" , mascot = , anniversaries = 9 April 1937 (Royal Thai Air Force Day) , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles ...

. Although 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 ...

is the Head of the Royal Thai Armed Forces ( th, จอมทัพไทย), his position is only nominal. The ministry and the forces are administered by an appointed politician, the

Minister of Defence A defence minister or minister of defence is a Cabinet (government), cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from coun ...

, a member of the

Cabinet of Thailand The cabinet of Thailand or, formally, the Council of Ministers of Thailand ( th, คณะรัฐมนตรี; is a body composed of thirty-five of the most senior members of the government of the Kingdom of Thailand. The cabinet is the pri ...

. The post of minister of Defence has been held by General

Prayut Chan-o-cha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; th, ประยุทธ์ จันทร์โอชา, ; born 21 March 1954) is a Thai politician and retired Royal Thai Army, army officer who has served as the Prime Minister of T ...

, who is also prime minister, since 10 July 2019.

History

Initially, the Ministry was called ''Krom Kalahom'' ( th, กรมกลาโหม) and its head was called ''Samuha Kalahom'' ( th, สมุหกลาโหม), and it was charged with the protection of the southern border. It was founded in the Ayutthaya period and was retained throughout the Rattanakosin period. The

ministry Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian ...

in its current design was formed in 1887, by the order of 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� ...

, to create a permanent military command. This was a result of the increasing threat posed by Western powers. The ministry was first housed in an old horse-and-elephant stable opposite the

Grand Palace The Grand Palace ( th, พระบรมมหาราชวัง, Royal Institute of Thailand. (2011). ''How to read and how to write.'' (20th Edition). Bangkok: Royal Institute of Thailand. .) is a complex of buildings at the heart of Ban ...

. A new European-style building was erected to house it. At first the ministry only commanded the army (founded in 1847), but then it incorporated the navy (founded in 1887), and finally, the air force (founded in 1913). In 1914, King

Vajiravudh Vajiravudh ( th, วชิราวุธ, , 1 January 188126 November 1925) was the sixth monarch of Siam under the Chakri dynasty as Rama VI. He ruled from 23 October 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is best known for his efforts ...

determined that the act providing for invoking

martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

, first promulgated by his father in 1907, was not consistent with modern

laws of war The law of war is the component of international law that regulates the conditions for initiating war (''jus ad bellum'') and the conduct of warring parties (''jus in bello''). Laws of war define sovereignty and nationhood, states and territor ...

nor convenient for the preservation of the external or internal security of the state, so it was changed to the modern form that, with minor amendments, continues to be in force.

Structure

Departments

Departmental organisation

* Office of Minister of Defence * Office of the Permanent Secretary for Defence *

Associated organizations

Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School The Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School or AFAPS (Thai: โรงเรียนเตรียมทหาร) is a senior high school in Nakhon Nayok Province. It is a flagship institution of the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters. The ...

National Defence College of Thailand The National Defence College of Thailand or NDC ( th, วิทยาลัยป้องกันราชอาณาจักร, Witayalai Bongkan Ratcha-Anarchak) is an education organization that provides advanced training for both senior m ...

Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy (CRMA) ( th, โรงเรียนนายร้อยพระจุลจอมเกล้า, translit=Roong riian naai rɔ́ɔi prá Jù-lá-jɔɔm-glâo or รร.จปร.) is the service academy of ...

Royal Thai Naval Academy The Royal Thai Naval Academy (Thai: โรงเรียนนายเรือ) (RTNA) was established by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in 1898. He officially opened the academy on 20 November 1906. Originally located on the royal yacht ''Maha ...

Navaminda Kasatriyadhiraj Royal Thai Air Force Academy The Navaminda Kasatriyadhiraj Royal Air Force Academy () (NKRAFA) is a military academy for officer cadets of the Royal Thai Air Force. History In 1950, the Royal Air Force (RTAF) started recruiting officers who completed their training from ...

Other agencies

* Defence Technology Institute (Public Organisation) * The War Veterans Department *

Bangkok Dock Company The Bangkok Dock Company (1957) Limited ( th, บริษัทอู่กรุงเทพ จำกัด) is a Thai shipbuilding company. It operates as a state enterprise under the oversight of the Ministry of Defence. It was founded in 1 ...

Budget

The military augments its budgets through its ownership of golf courses, racetracks, boxing stadia, and radio and television stations.

List of Ministers

References

External links

Royal Thai ArmyRoyal Thai NavyRoyal Thai Air Force
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ministry of Defence (Thailand) Military of Thailand

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 bo ...

Thailand, Defence