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Thailand Uniforms, Ranks, and Insignia
To build institutional solidarity and esprit de corps, each
Thai service component developed its own distinctive uniforms,
ranking system, and insignia. Many Thai military uniforms
reflected historical foreign influences. For example, most of the
distinctive service uniforms were patterned on those of the
United States, but lower ranking enlisted navy personnel wore
uniforms resembling those of their French counterparts. The early
influence of British advisers to the Thai royal court and the
historical role of the military in royal pomp and ceremony
contributed to the splendor of formal dress uniforms worn by
high-ranking officers and guards of honor for ceremonial
occasions.
The rank structures of the three armed services were similar
to those of the respective branches of the United States Armed
Forces, although the Thai system had fewer NCO and warrant
officer designations
(see
fig. 18;
fig. 19). The king, as head of
state and constitutional head of the armed forces, personally
granted all commissions for members of the officer corps.
Appointments to NCO ranks were authorized by the minister of
defense. In theory, the authority and responsibilities of
officers of various ranks corresponded to those of their American
counterparts. However, because of a perennial surplus of senior
officers--in 1987 there were some 600 generals and admirals in a
total force of about 273,000--Thai staff positions were often
held by officers of higher rank than would have been the case in
the United States or other Western military establishments.
Thai military personnel were highly conscious of rank
distinctions and of the duties, obligations, and benefits they
entailed. Relationships among officers of different grades and
among officers, NCOs, and the enlisted ranks were governed by
military tradition in a society where observance of differences
in status was highly formalized. The social distance between
officers and NCOs was widened by the fact that officers usually
were college or military academy graduates, while most NCOs had
not gone beyond secondary school. There was often a wider gap
between officers and conscripts, most of whom had had even less
formal education, service experience, or specialized training.
Formal honors and symbols of merit occupied an important
place in the Thai military tradition, and service personnel
received and wore awards and decorations with pride. The
government granted numerous awards, and outstanding acts of
heroism, courage, and meritorious service received prompt
recognition.
Data as of September 1987
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