Military ranks of the Thai armed forces

The military ranks of Thailand are the military insignia used by the Royal Thai Armed Forces. The officer ranks are influenced by the ranks of the United Kingdom and United States, while the non-commissioned ranks are influenced by those of the United Kingdom and France.^[1]

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers				Senior officers			Junior officers
Royal Thai Army^[2] v t e
Royal Thai Army^[2] v t e	จอมพล Chom phon	พลเอก Phon ek	พลโท Phon tho	พลตรี Phon tri	พันเอก Phan ek	พันโท Phan tho	พันตรี Phan tri	ร้อยเอก Roi ek	ร้อยโท Roi tho	ร้อยตรี Roi tri
Anglicised version^[2]	Field marshal	General	Lieutenant general	Major general	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant
Royal Thai Navy^[2] v t e
Royal Thai Navy^[2] v t e	จอมพลเรือ Chom phon ruea	พลเรือเอก Phon ruea ek	พลเรือโท Phon ruea tho	พลเรือตรี Phon ruea tri	นาวาเอก Nawa ek	นาวาโท Nawa tho	นาวาตรี Nawa tri	เรือเอก Ruea ek	เรือโท Ruea tho	เรือตรี Ruea tri
Anglicised version^[2]	Admiral of the fleet	Admiral	Vice admiral	Rear admiral	Captain	Commander	Lieutenant commander	Lieutenant	Lieutenant junior grade	Sub lieutenant
Royal Thai Air Force^[2] v t e
Royal Thai Air Force^[2] v t e	จอมพลอากาศ Chom phon akat	พลอากาศเอก Phon akat ek	พลอากาศโท Phon akat tho	พลอากาศตรี Phon akat tri	นาวาอากาศเอก Nawa akat ek	นาวาอากาศโท Nawa akat tho	นาวาอากาศตรี Nawa akat tri	เรืออากาศเอก Ruea akat ek	เรืออากาศโท Ruea akat tho	เรืออากาศตรี Ruea akat tri
Anglicised version^[2]	Marshal of the Air Force	Air chief marshal	Air marshal	Air vice marshal	Group captain	Wing commander	Squadron leader	Flight lieutenant	Flying officer	Pilot officer
Rank group	General / flag officers				Senior officers			Junior officers

Student officer ranks

Rank group	Student officer
Royal Thai Navy^[2]
Royal Thai Navy^[2]	ชั้นปีที่ 5 Chận pī thī̀ 5	ชั้นปีที่ 4 Chận pī thī̀ 4	ชั้นปีที่ 3 Chận pī thī̀ 3	ชั้นปีที่ 2 Chận pī thī̀ 2	ชั้นปีที่ 1 Chận pī thī̀ 1

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Senior NCOs				Junior NCOs		Enlisted
Royal Thai Army^[2] v t e								No insignia
Royal Thai Army^[2] v t e	จ่าสิบเอก Cha sip ek	จ่าสิบโท Cha sip tho	จ่าสิบตรี Cha sip tri	สิบเอก Sip ek	สิบโท Sip tho		สิบตรี Sip tri	พลทหาร Phon thahan
Anglicised version^[2]	Sergeant major 1st class	Sergeant major 2nd class	Sergeant major 3rd class	Sergeant	Corporal		Lance corporal	Private
Royal Thai Navy^[2] v t e								No insignia
Royal Thai Navy^[2] v t e	พันจ่าเอก Phan cha ek	พันจ่าโท Phan cha tho	พันจ่าตรี Phan cha tri	จ่าเอก Cha ek	จ่าโท Cha tho	จ่าตรี Cha tri		พลทหาร Phon thahan
Anglicised version	Chief petty officer first class	Chief petty officer second class	Chief petty officer third class	Petty officer first class	Petty officer second class	Petty officer third class		Seaman
Royal Thai Air Force^[2] v t e								No insignia
Royal Thai Air Force^[2] v t e	พันจ่าอากาศเอก Phan cha akat ek	พันจ่าอากาศโท Phan cha akat tho	พันจ่าอากาศตรี Phan cha akat tri	จ่าอากาศเอก Cha akat ek	จ่าอากาศโท Cha akat tho		จ่าอากาศตรี Cha akat tri	พลทหาร Phon thahan
Anglicised version	Flight Sergeant first class	Flight Sergeant second class	Flight Sergeant third class	Sergeant	Corporal		Senior Airman	Airman
Rank group	Senior NCOs				Junior NCOs		Enlisted

There is a special rank (Army: Special Sergeant Major 1st Class (Thai: จ่าสิบเอกพิเศษ, romanized: Cha Sip Ek Phiset); navy: Fleet chief petty officer (Thai: พันจ่าเอกพิเศษ, romanized: Phan cha ek phiset); air force: Special flight sergeant 1st class (Thai: พันจ่าอากาศเอกพิเศษ, romanized: Phan cha akat ek phiset)) which is an honorary rank given to senior enlisted members who are deserving of recognition above and beyond that of the highest enlisted rank. There is no difference in the rank insignia worn, and they do not outrank the normal highest enlisted rank, although in a group situation they will normally be assigned control. They receive a higher salary.^{[citation needed]}

Royal Thai Police

The Royal Thai Police (RTP) is sometimes considered as the fourth armed service of Thailand (๔ เหล่าทัพ), but reports directly to the Prime Minister's Department rather than to the Ministry of Defense. The Royal Thai Police share the same rank system as the Royal Thai Army but the particularities of the police are the star representing the commissioned officer and the crown over the star. The Royal Thai Police uses the eight-pointed silver star and the silver crown with a halo on top, while the Royal Thai Army uses the five-pointed gold star and the gold crown with no halo for its officer shoulder boards.

Officers

Rank group				Senior officers			Junior officers
Royal Thai Police v t e
Royal Thai Police v t e	พลตำรวจเอก Phon Tam Ruad Ek	พลตำรวจโท Phon Tam Ruad Tho	พลตำรวจตรี Phon Tam Ruad Tri	พันตำรวจเอก Phan Tam Ruad Ek	พันตำรวจโท Phan Tam Ruad Tho	พันตำรวจตรี Phan Tam Ruad Tri	ร้อยตำรวจเอก Roi Tam Ruad Ek	ร้อยตำรวจโท Roi Tam Ruad Tho	ร้อยตำรวจตรี Roi Tam Ruad Tri	นักเรียนนายร้อยตำรวจ Nak Rian Nai Roi Tam Ruad
Abbreviation^[3]	พล.ต.อ.	พล.ต.ท.	พล.ต.ต.	พ.ต.อ.	พ.ต.ท.	พ.ต.ต.	ร.ต.อ.	ร.ต.ท.	ร.ต.ต.	นรต.
Anglicised version	Police General	Police Lieutenant General	Police Major General	Police Colonel	Police Lieutenant Colonel	Police Major	Police Captain	Police Lieutenant	Police 2nd Lieutenant	Police Cadet Officer
UK equivalent Army ranks/Police ranks	General Commissioner	Lieutenant General Deputy Commissioner	Major General Assistant Commissioner	Colonel Chief Superintendent	Lieutenant Colonel Divisional Superintendent	Major Superintendent	Captain Chief Inspector	Lieutenant Inspector	Second Lieutenant Subdivisional Inspector	Officer Cadet

Non-Commissioned Officers

Rank group	Senior NCOs			Junior NCOs		Enlisted
Royal Thai Police v t e						No insignia
Royal Thai Police v t e	ดาบตำรวจ Dap Tamruat	จ่าสิบตำรวจ Cha Sip Tamruat	สิบตำรวจเอก Sip Tamruat Ek	สิบตำรวจโท Sip Tamruat Tho	สิบตำรวจตรี Sip Tamruat Tri	พลตำรวจ Phon Tamruat
English	Police sergeant major	Police Master sergeant	Police sergeant	Police corporal	Police lance corporal	Police constable

Volunteer Defense Corps (Thailand)

The Volunteer Defense Corps (กองอาสารักษาดินแดน; abbreviated VDC) is a Thai paramilitary under the authority of the Department Of Provincial Administration, Ministry of Interior.^[4] It was founded in 1954 to provide extra military support to the Royal Thai Armed Forces and to protect local civilians living near Thailand's borders. Its ranks mirror those of both the RTA and the RTP.^[5]

Officers

Rank group		Senior officers			Junior officers
Volunteer Defense Corps
	VDC General	VDC Colonel	VDC Lieutenant Colonel	VDC Major	VDC Captain	VDC First Lieutenant	VDC Second Lieutenant
	VDC Gen	VDC Col	VDC Lt Col	VDC Maj	VDC Capt	VDC 1st Lt	VDC 2nd Lt

Enlisted

Rank group	Senior NCOs		Junior NCOs	Enlisted
Volunteer Defense Corps
	VDC Sergeant Major	VDC Sergeant	VDC Corporal	VDC Private First Class	VDC Member
	VDC Sgt Maj	VDC Sgt	VDC Cpl	VDC Pfc	VDC Mbr

Rank structure

Chom (จอม) (Also used as Chom Thap (จอมทัพ)) is Head of Forces, there can only be one Chom Thap at a time, the King is the Chom Thap.^[6] (Phon พล.) Ranks below commander-in-chief use Thai alternate numbers.

References

^ Haseman, John B. (1989). "National Security". In LePoer, Barbara Leitch (ed.). Thailand: a country study. Area Handbook (6th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. p. 265. LCCN 88600485. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k "เครื่องหมายยศทหาร" [Military Rank Insignia]. navedu.navy.mi.th (in Thai). Thai Naval Education Department. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
^ [1] Archived 2018-12-21 at the Wayback Machine, กรมการกงสุล กระทรวงการต่างประเทศ
^ [2] ^{[bare URL PDF]}
^ "63 Years of Volunteer Defense Corps (Thailand) in 2017 News page 78-79". Archived from the original on 2018-10-11. Retrieved 2018-10-11.
^ "Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters English version". Archived from the original on 2009-04-18. Retrieved 2014-05-11.

External links

[1] Haseman, John B. (1989). "National Security". In LePoer, Barbara Leitch (ed.). Thailand: a country study. Area Handbook (6th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. p. 265. LCCN 88600485. Retrieved 26 October 2021.

[Thailand-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k "เครื่องหมายยศทหาร" [Military Rank Insignia]. navedu.navy.mi.th (in Thai). Thai Naval Education Department. Retrieved 13 June 2021.

[3] [1] Archived 2018-12-21 at the Wayback Machine, กรมการกงสุล กระทรวงการต่างประเทศ

[ratchakitcha.soc.go.th-4] [2] ^{[bare URL PDF]}

[5] "63 Years of Volunteer Defense Corps (Thailand) in 2017 News page 78-79". Archived from the original on 2018-10-11. Retrieved 2018-10-11.

[6] "Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters English version". Archived from the original on 2009-04-18. Retrieved 2014-05-11.

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