thai military

  • Thailand News

    Thai defence ministry to downsize military

    The Thai Ministry of Defence outlined a comprehensive plan to downsize service personnel by approximately 700 individuals within the next three years. This strategic move aims to restructure the military and is expected to result in savings of up to 34 million baht. Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang confirmed these details after a Defence Council meeting last Thursday. The initial phase…

  • Thailand News

    Red-shirt leader Nattawut Saikua urges lawmakers to pass bills for 2010 crackdown victims

    Nattawut Saikua, a key figure in the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), intensified his campaign for justice by urging Pheu Thai Party executives to throw their weight behind two pivotal bills. These bills, spearheaded by ruling party Deputy Leader Chousak Sirinil, are poised to revolutionise the quest for accountability. The proposed legislation encompasses an organic act targeting the…

  • Thailand News

    ASEAN military cooperation reinforced amid external pressures

    The Defence Ministry of Phetchaburi has affirmed its dedication to bolstering cooperation among the military forces of ASEAN members while maintaining neutrality amidst external pressures. The statement was part of Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang’s address at the inaugural ceremony of the 24th ASEAN Chiefs of Army Multilateral Meeting (ACAMM) at the Dusit Thani Hua Hin located in Cha-am district, which took…

  • Thailand News

    Thai military to engage Myanmar over repatriation delay

    The Thai military is set to engage Myanmar over the delay in the repatriation of 41 Thai nationals who were recently rescued from illegal businesses in Laukkaing township. This was revealed today by Colonel Natee Thomsen, the commander of the Thap Chao Tak Taskforce of the Pha Mueang Force. Col. Natee plans to discuss the reasons behind the repatriation delay…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand military upgrade: Defense Ministry responds to emerging threats

    Thailand’s Defence Ministry is gearing up to bolster the country’s armed forces, aiming for a technologically superior edge to counter emerging security threats. Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang highlighted the Thailand military upgrade commitment during his address to the incoming batch of the National Defence Course at the National Defence College yesterday. Sutin conceded his previous misunderstanding regarding military expenditure, stressing…

  • Thailand News

    Chiang Mai military seize 12.2 million meth pills

    Early this morning morning saw the seizure of over 12 million methamphetamine pills by military personnel in the Wiang Haeng district of Chiang Mai. The Pha Muang task force’s rangers of the Royal Thai Army discovered two suspicious pickup trucks parked in a garden along the Ban Mai Muang Jod road in the Piang Luang Tambon at around 5am, today,…

  • Thailand News

    Thai Defence Ministry prioritises flood response in annual fiscal policy

    The Ministry of Defence in Thailand recently put forth a directive highlighting the urgency of flood response preparations by military units. This announcement followed a Defense Council gathering that outlined the yearly fiscal policy under the jurisdiction of the Defense Ministry. The goal is to bolster administration efficiency and smooth functioning within the ministry. A crucial aspect of this policy…

  • Thailand News

    Thai defence minister proposes public distribution of military-owned land

    Sutin Klungsang, the Defence Minister, put forth a proposition to distribute some military-owned land to the local populace, as part of the governmental strategy to modernise the armed forces. This was revealed by the Defence Ministry’s spokesperson, Thanitpong Sirisawetsak, post a Defence Council meeting. The 62 year old Sutin presented policies to the ministry’s department heads and the leaders of…

  • Thailand News

    Thai PM’s purse power play: Srettha urges military to trade arms for aid in 2024

    Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin urged the military to postpone their plans to procure weapons for 2024 in a bid to divert funds towards aiding the nation’s needy, according to insiders. Defence Minister Sutin Klunsang and Prommin Lertsuridej, the Prime Minister’s Secretary-General, have been tasked with negotiating the delay with the military leaders. The prime minister wishes to utilise the budget…

  • Thailand News

    Civilian defence minister to navigate Thai military reforms amid coalition challenges

    The newly appointed Defence Minister, Sutin Klungsang, is in the spotlight as he is expected to navigate through various challenges within the military while maintaining stability within the Pheu Thai-led coalition government. As the first civilian to take the defence minister position without also holding the role of the prime minister, Sutin is expected to manage military reform, the southern…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand considers barter trade with China for submarine amid procurement issues

    The Defence Minister of Thailand revealed that the government is considering various alternatives, including a barter trade arrangement or the purchase of fertilisers from China, to resolve the ongoing issues concerning the procurement of a submarine for the navy. Sutin Klungsang spoke on the matter at a seminar discussing Thai security and geopolitical challenges, hosted by Rangsit University’s College of…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand’s yearly military reshuffle may be delayed due to coalition government

    In light of the formation of an impending coalition government, Thailand’s yearly military reshuffle might be subjected to a delay, as revealed by Prayut Chan-o-cha, who is concurrently serving as the Defence Minister and Prime Minister. His announcement was made on Friday, upon the closure of a Defence Council session. Expressing uncertainty about the timing of the reshuffle, Prayut said…

  • Thailand News

    Mixed responses to calls for ending compulsory military service in Thailand

    Academics and human rights defenders have provided mixed responses to the increasing calls to end compulsory military service in Thailand, intensifying as the May 14 polls approach. The Move Forward Party and the Pheu Thai Party have both pledged they will terminate compulsory service in favor of voluntary enlistment if they win the elections and form the next government. These…

  • Thailand News

    RTA condemned after ordering bedridden patient to report for conscription

    Thai netizens criticised the Royal Thai Army (RTA) for their lack of empathy after a woman had to take her bedridden disabled son to report for conscription in the northern province of Lamphun. A former Thai actor, 21 year old Thanakit “Off” Wutthirothong, left the movie industry after a motorcycle accident rendered him disabled. A drunk woman crashed her car…

  • Thailand News

    23 military students hospitalised after being trained too hard

    Twenty-three military students of the Army Reserve Training Centre at Narathiwat School were sent to the hospital with serious muscle and kidney injuries due to being trained too hard. The army trainer has been relieved of his duties while the matter is investigated. Parents of the injured military students posted on Facebook on November 30 that their sons and some…

  • Central Thailand News

    Thai man beset by Black Magic faces jail for stealing holy relic

    A Thai druggie obsessed with Black Magic faces five years in jail and a 100,000 baht fine after stealing a holy statue from some military premises. Habitual drug taker Thongchai Saengtrakarn was arrested yesterday after stealing the holy statute from the entrance of the Defence Technology Institute in Nontha Buri province near Bangkok on Thursday, July 28. The 38 year…

  • Politics News

    Thai opposition calls out Prayut over military spending

    A leader of Thailand’s opposition has called out PM Prayut Chan-o-cha over military spending. The deputy leader of the Pheu Thai Party, Yuttapong Charasathien, criticised the government’s plans to purchase submarines and F-35 fighter jets. He said that Prayut should have scrapped a submarine deal when it became obvious that the Chinese manufacturer, China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co, couldn’t…

  • Thailand News

    Thai military commanders asked to explain secret budget used by senior officers

    Senior officers from the Defence Ministry, and the Royal Thai Armed Forces, say its nearly 2,000,000,000 baht budget would be used reasonably to protect the country. But members of the Extraordinary Committee asked about the secret budget and urged senior officers to reveal more detail about the plan to the public. The Extraordinary Committee met this morning to consider the…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Army general and two others swindled over 43 million baht in fraud case

    An army general and two other people were charged yesterday with colluding to defraud others. The three swindled over 43 million baht from two companies between December 2017 and August 2018. They offered the companies services that didn’t exist. One of these fake projects involved telling a firm they could land it a state contract by installing LED lights in…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Soldier dies, another seriously injured, after plunging off cliff in northern Thailand

    A soldier has died after falling from a cliff in the northern province of Tak yesterday, while on duty patrolling for drug traffickers. Another soldier has been seriously injured in the incident at the mountain of Doi Montha, in the district of Mae Sot. The Bangkok Post reports that army spokesman Sirichan Ngathong says military personnel from the Naresuan Force…

  • Thailand News

    Ministry of Defense makes statement after post claiming soldiers were forced to masturbate

    In response to a post on social media claiming 168 soldiers were forced to masturbate before showering, Thailand’s Ministry of Defence made a statement saying that there is no policy where senior officers are encouraged to order that kind of punishment to soldiers, adding that it is “extremely inappropriate.” Reports in Thai media says the ministry will investigate the claims…

  • Politics News

    MP queries appointment of army general to oversee Covid-19 in southern Thailand

    An MP from the Bhumjaithai Party has called on the PM to review his appointment of an army general to oversee the Covid-19 situation in the south of the country. MP Suphachai Jaismut has questioned the appropriateness of appointing Nattaphon Narkphanit, formerly secretary-general of the National Security Council. “My point of contention is that the PM is adopting ‘security as…

  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Today | C.O.E replacement, Easing of restrictions, Thai Airways full resumption | Oct 14

    Jett goes through all the latest headlines in Thailand that include the new Thailand pass system, further easing of the restriction and curfew in Thailand, health minister disagrees with the PM and the full resumption of Thai Airways starting October 31st.

  • Politics News

    Move Forward MP accused of falsifying documents in complaint filed by Thai army

    The Thai military has filed a complaint against Nattacha Boonchaiinsawat, an MP from the Move Forward Party. In the complaint, which was filed at a police station in the north-eastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, Nattacha is accused of producing fake documents during the ongoing no-confidence debate. The debate against the PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and his government got underway on Monday.…

  • Covid-19 News

    Thai soldier who bragged about getting Pfizer vaccine says he’s a nurse

    A Thai army sergeant who announced he’d received a dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine has sparked temporary outrage on social media. Noppadon Maneechan, who is based in the north-eastern province of Loei, has had to defend his reputation and refute claims that Pfizer doses have been secretly administered to the military ahead of healthcare workers and high-risk members of…

  • Thailand News

    Ministry of Defence orders another Airbus C295 for the Royal Thai Army

    The Royal Thai Army is adding another defence aircraft to its fleet. An order for an additional Airbus C295 airlifter for an undisclosed amount was recently made by Thailand’s Ministry of Defence. It will be be the country’s third C295 in its defence fleet. The tactical transport aircraft will be delivered to Thailand in 2023. The aircraft can be used…

  • Thailand News

    PM orders investigation after Facebook removes fraudulent accounts with alleged military ties

    The Thai PM says he’s ordered an investigation into allegations that the military has been using fraudulent social media accounts to aggravate the ongoing unrest in southern Thailand. Facebook has announced the removal of 185 accounts and groups that it has accused of “information-influencing”, targeting audiences in the south of the country, where Muslim insurgents continue to fight for independence.…

  • South Thailand News

    Facebook removes “information-influencing” pages linked to Thai military

    Facebook has confirmed the removal of 185 accounts run by the Thai military and allegedly involved in information-influencing. The social media giant says the accounts were deleted for engaging in what it calls, “coordinated inauthentic behaviour”. In total, 77 accounts, 72 pages, and 18 groups have been removed from the platform, in addition to 18 Instagram accounts. It’s the first…

  • Crime News

    Bangkok Military Court issues arrest warrant for medic accused of injecting troops with fake Covid-19 vaccine

    The Bangkok Military Court has issued an arrest warrant for a Royal Thai Army medic who is accused of injecting troops with a fake Covid-19 vaccine. He reportedly made more than 100,000 baht by charging troops, who were on a United Nations mission, 500 baht each for a tetanus vaccine and a fake Covid-19 vaccine, which an internal army investigation…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Head of army band shot dead at military base in north-east Thailand – VIDEO

    An army band leader has been shot dead at a military camp in the north-eastern province of Nakhon Phanom, with police launching a murder investigation. 34 year old Rungchalerm Pansawasdi was shot 3 times in the head and neck, at the Phra Yod Muang Kwang army base on Wednesday evening. He had just returned from having dinner with his wife,…

  • Politics News

    Court to deliver verdict on PM’s military residence this afternoon

    Security is expected to be extremely tight at Bangkok’s Constitutional Court today, as the ruling in the matter of the PM’s residence is delivered. Prayut Chan-o-cha is accused of violating army rules by occupying a military residence rent-free, despite having retired from the army in 2014. Critics say his tenancy represents a conflict of interest. Should the court agree with…

  • Thailand News

    Cadet threatened with legal action for draft dodging – 3 years after dying in training

    The family of a young army cadet who died in suspicious circumstances while in military training, has received a letter threatening him with legal action over his failure to show up for service. 18 year old Pakapong Tanyakan died nearly 3 years ago, while undergoing training at a military academy in the central province of Nakhon Nayok, north-east of Bangkok.…

  • Covid-19 News

    Senator questions the admission of US troops during state of emergency

    A Thai senator is questioning the need for US troops to participate in joint exercises with their Thai counterparts while a state of emergency is still in place in the country. The emergency decree was extended for the third time at the end of July and is now set to expire at the end of this month. Senator Kamnoon Sidhisamarn…

  • Business News

    Questions arise about costs of military helicopters

    In the wake of the tragic crash of King Power supremo Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha’s personal helicopter last Saturday evening (UK time), an unintended story has emerged about the costs of the model of his helicopter, the same model used by the Royal Thai Army. Srisuwan Janya, a ‘transparency activist’, according to Khaosod English, has dug into the accounts books and found that…