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]

The shoulder insignia and ranks of the Royal Thai Armed Forces.

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
	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
	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
	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]
	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
	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
	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
	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	General/flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
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
	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	General / flag officers										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.

See also

• Thai noble titles

References

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.
2. "เครื่องหมายยศทหาร" [Military Rank Insignia]. navedu.navy.mi.th (in Thai). Thai Naval Education Department. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
3. , กรมการกงสุล กระทรวงการต่างประเทศ
4. ^{[bare URL PDF]}
5. 63 Years of Volunteer Defense Corps (Thailand) in 2017 News page 78-79
6. "Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters English version". Archived from the original on 2009-04-18. Retrieved 2014-05-11.

External links

• Royal Thai Army (Official website - Thai version)
• Royal Thai Air force (Official website - English version)
• Royal Thai Navy (Official website - English version)
• Thai Ministry of Defence (Official website - English version)
• Royal Thai Police (Official website)