Thailand in the Korean War
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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 Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
was one of the 21 countries who responded to the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
request to send troops to aid
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
during the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
1950-1953. As well as being one of the first countries to openly express its support for South Korea's cause, whilst also being one of the UN's larger contributors to the war. Thai support was important to battles determining the outcome of the war, including Pork Chop Hill and the
Third Battle of Seoul The Third Battle of Seoul, also known as the Chinese New Year's Offensive, the January–Fourth Retreat ( ko, 1•4 후퇴) or the Third Phase Campaign Western SectorThe Eastern Sector is the First and Second Battles of Wonju. (), was a battle ...
.


Intervention

In July 1950, Thailand was the first Asian nation to respond to the US call for allies in Korea. Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram told parliament that, "by sending just a small number of troops as a token of our friendship, we will get various things in return." A month after agreeing to commit troops, Thailand received US$10 million in US economic aid and a US$25 million loan from the
World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...
. Four tons of rice were sent to Korea immediately as food aid, followed by an infantry battalion from the 1st Infantry Battalion of the 21st Regimental Combat Team (later renamed the 21st Infantry Regiment, Queen's Guard), formed on 22 September, and several warships. Later in the conflict, several transport aircraft were sent by the Thai government.


21st Royal Thailand Regiment


Operations in Korea

* Battle of Pork Chop Hill *
Third Battle of Seoul The Third Battle of Seoul, also known as the Chinese New Year's Offensive, the January–Fourth Retreat ( ko, 1•4 후퇴) or the Third Phase Campaign Western SectorThe Eastern Sector is the First and Second Battles of Wonju. (), was a battle ...


Battle of Pork Chop Hill

The Battle of Pork Chop Hill (31 October to 11 November 1952) involved numerous battles struggling for control of key territory along the front line while truce talks at
Panmunjom Panmunjom, also known as Panmunjeom, now located in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea or Kaesong, North Hwanghae Province, North Korea, was a village just north of the ''de facto'' border between North and South Korea, where the 1953 Korea ...
proceeded. Pork Chop Hill was held by soldiers of the US 7th Infantry Division, the Thai 21st Infantry Battalion, and other units. They together repulsed attacks by the People's Volunteer Army (PVA). The Chinese made an all-out effort to capture the hill. Eventually, the UN forces withdrew from its heights, ceding it to the Chinese. After the engagement, the United States military awarded Major
Kriangsak Chamanan Kriangsak Chamanan ( th, เกรียงศักดิ์ ชมะนันทน์, ; 17 December 191723 December 2003) served as prime minister of Thailand from 1977 to 1980. After staging a successful coup, he was asked to become Prime ...
the Legion of Merit of which he was later invited and received scholarship to study at Fort Leavenworth, where he left his name in the school hall of fame. In 1977 he became the 25th Prime Minister of Thailand, serving until 1980. Another 12 received Silver Stars and 26 were awarded Bronze Star medals. The Thai unit earned the nickname "Little Tigers" for their valour. In last spring of the war (March to June 1953), the Thai infantry spent most of their time training and as 9th US Corps reserve. They then relocated to Kyo-dong on 4 May 1953. A battle followed in the vicinity of the "Boomerang" from 14 to 27 July 1953 northwest of Kimhwa, after a
Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...
victory in the
Battle of Chatkol The Battle of Chatkol (also known as the 55 Nights of Chatkol) was the name given to the series of skirmishes between United Nations Command (UN) and Chinese People's Volunteer Army (PVA) forces near the village of Chatkol at the centre of the I ...
.


Post-armistice

Small Thai contingents remained in Korea until June 1972 and a symbolic presence remains there in 2020.


Naval involvement

On 7 November 1950 two Thai warships, HTMS ''Prasae'' and HTMS ''Bangpakong'', arrived in South Korea. They served under United Nations command, performing escort duty and shelling enemy targets on land. The ''Prasae'' ran aground on the coast near
Yangyang Yangyang County (''Yangyang-gun'') is in Gangwon Province, South Korea. The county is located in the northeast of the country in Gangwon-do. Its population is about 31,000 (2004). The Yangyang area is well known for its pine mushrooms (''son ...
during a snowstorm. Attempts to refloat her failed, and she was scuttled on 7 January 1951, her wreck being shelled to complete her destruction. The ''Bangpakong'' left Korea on 16 February 1952. On 29 December 1951 two more Thai warships, HTMS ''Prasae'' II and the HTMS ''Tachin'', arrived in Korea. They sailed for home a year and a half after the armistice on 21 January 1955. The transport ship HTMS ''Sichang'' arrived in Korea on 7 November 1950, remaining there until 15 July 1951.


Aircraft

Royal Thai Air Force "Royal Thai Air Force March" , mascot = , anniversaries = 9 April 1937 (Royal Thai Air Force Day) , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles ...
(RTAF)
Douglas C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained ...
aircraft took part in the
Korean war , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
. Three task force contingents of the Royal Thai Air Force would serve in South Korea: #The first of a total of twenty-two Air Liaison Officers Teams was dispatched to the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
Command in 1951. #The first of twenty-nine Air Nursing Teams began its mission on 26 December 1950, remaining there until 1974. #A total of twenty-nine RTAF airlift mission teams served in South Korea from 1951 to 1971.


Legacy

During the course of the Korean War, Thailand dispatched a total of 11,786 soldiers to Korea. It is recorded that 129 Thai soldiers lost their lives in the war, 1,139 were wounded, and five were
missing in action Missing in action (MIA) is a casualty classification assigned to combatants, military chaplains, combat medics, and prisoners of war who are reported missing during wartime or ceasefire. They may have been killed, wounded, captured, ex ...
(MIA). In 1974, the Government of the Republic of Korea built a monument, and a Thai pavilion in Pocheon City, to honour the Thai soldiers who took part in the Korean War. On 4 November 2008, the Thai Embassy in Seoul, with the cooperation from the Office of Defense Attache, hosted the opening ceremony of the Thai memorial at the
United Nations Memorial Cemetery The United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea (UNMCK; ), located at Tanggok in the Nam District,; also seeKorea 1:50,000 Pusan Sheet 7019 III (1947) an City of Busan,As a transliteration from Korean, the city name 부산 () was typically spel ...
in Korea (UNMCK) to commemorate the sacrifices made by Thai soldiers during the Korean War. Thailand still maintains, as of 2020, one liaison officer at the Armistice Committee site and six soldiers as members of the United Nations Command Honor Guard Company in Seoul. HTMS ''Prasae II'' was decommissioned from 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 ...
in 2000, and was designated as a museum ship. She is visible at the mouth of the Prasae River,
Rayong Province Rayong province ( th, ระยอง, ) is one of seventy-six provinces (''changwat'') lies in eastern Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from west clockwise) Chonburi, and Chanthaburi. To the south is the Gulf of Thailand. , per capita ea ...
(
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 ...
) by the Prasae River Communities Committee where she serves as a memorial. There is also a monument to the 21st Infantry Regiment.


References


External links

*
60 Years of the "Little Tiger" – Thai Soldiers in the Korean War



History of the Royal Thai Air Force
{{History of Thailand 1932 - 1973 Military history of Thailand Military units and formations of Thailand United Nations contingents in Korea 1950 in Thailand South Korea–Thailand relations
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 ...
Wars involving Thailand