Ministry of Defense (Thailand)
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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 to maintain national security, territorial integrity, and national Defence. The armed forces of Thailand are composed of three branches: the Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy, and Royal Thai Air Force. Although the King of Thailand is the
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 ...
( th, จอมทัพไทย), his position is only nominal. The ministry and the forces are administered by an appointed politician, the Minister of Defence, a member of the Cabinet of Thailand. 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 The Ayutthaya Kingdom (; th, อยุธยา, , IAST: or , ) was a Siamese kingdom that existed in Southeast Asia from 1351 to 1767, centered around the city of Ayutthaya, in Siam, or present-day Thailand. The Ayutthaya Kingdom is conside ...
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 * Royal Thai Armed Forces


Associated organizations

* Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School *
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 *
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


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