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Thailand The Military Roles
From the early days of their development, the Thai armed
forces have been primarily responsible for defending the
country's territorial integrity against foreign aggressors. In
addition, they have traditionally served as a backup for the
police in maintaining internal security and protecting citizens
and their property. For several decades, elements of all three
services have been included to varying degrees in military
actions to contain, dispel, or crush insurgency.
The army's main purpose was to defend the country against
invasion by any foreign ground force. To be prepared for wartime
tasks, the army was charged with training and equipping itself in
peacetime in order to achieve and maintain a satisfactory state
of combat readiness.
Although the national police frequently demonstrated their
ability to handle isolated domestic disorders, problems generated
by insurgents at times required the assistance of the stronger
and better equipped military forces, particularly the army.
Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, a large part of the army
was committed to counterinsurgency efforts and played a crucial
role in the coordinated operations that virtually eliminated the
communist insurgency. At times the armed forces found themselves
in competition with the police for control of the national
counterinsurgency effort. To eliminate this contention, the
police defined their responsibility as maintaining law and order
and combating low levels of insurgent activity, while the army
was to locate and destroy guerrilla bases and fight in major
encounters.
After 1975, however, the military leadership grew
increasingly concerned over incursions by Vietnamese forces from
Cambodia and by Laotian forces along the lengthy northern and
northeastern border. With the defeat of most of the insurgency,
the army concentrated on establishing defensive positions and
developing the forces needed to counter the Vietnamese and
Laotian threats.
The navy's basic mission continued to be protecting the sea
approaches to the country and assisting the internal security
forces in suppressing insurgent activity. The navy was also
responsible for conducting river patrols and antipiracy efforts
in the Gulf of Thailand. The air force was charged with providing
tactical air support to ground and naval forces. It also had a
limited capability for aerial strikes against invading ground
forces and air-to-air combat. Its counterinsurgency aircraft and
trained air crews were deployed on numerous occasions to assist
the army and the BPP against guerrilla bands.
In addition to their basic military roles, the armed forces
participated in a variety of civic action programs designed to
support the country's development efforts. Public service by the
armed forces included such major projects as road building and
repair in remote regions, disaster relief, construction of dams
and reservoirs, assistance in building irrigation works, and
participation in agricultural reform efforts among the hill
tribes. Aimed at preventing villagers and peasant farmers in the
border regions from falling under the influence of insurgents,
military civic action appeared highly successful.
Data as of September 1987
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