The Royal Thai Armed Forces (กองทัพไทย; RTGS: Kong Thap Thai) constitute the military of

the Kingdom of Thailand. It consists of the Royal Thai Army (กองทัพบกไทย), the Royal Thai

Navy (กองทัพเรือไทย), and the Royal Thai Air Force (กองทัพอากาศไทย). It also incorporates
various paramilitary forces.

The Thai Armed Forces have a combined manpower of 306,000 active duty personnel and
another 245,000 active reserve personnel.[88] The head of the Thai Armed Forces (จอมทัพ
ไทย, Chom Thap Thai) is the king,[89] although this position is only nominal. The armed forces
are managed by the Ministry of Defence of Thailand, which is headed by the Minister of
Defence (a member of the cabinet of Thailand) and commanded by the Royal Thai Armed
Forces Headquarters, which in turn is headed by the Chief of Defence Forces of Thailand.
[90] Thai annual defense budget almost tripled from 78 billion baht in 2005 to 207 billion baht in
2016, accounting for approximately 1.5% of 2019 Thai GDP.[91] Thailand ranked 16th
worldwide in the Military Strength Index based on the Credit Suisse report in September 2015.

A Royal Thai Air Force JAS 39 Gripen

The military is also tasked with humanitarian missions, such as escorting Rohingya to Malaysia
or Indonesia,[92] ensuring security and welfare for refugees during Indochina refugee crisis.[93]

According to the constitution, serving in the armed forces is a duty of all Thai citizens.
[94] Thailand still use active draft system for males over the age of 21. They are subjected to
varying lengths of active service depending on the duration of reserve training as Territorial
Defence Student and their level of education. Those who have completed three years or more of
reserve training will be exempted entirely. The practice has long been criticized, as some media
question its efficacy and value.[95][96] It is alleged that conscripts end up as servants to senior
officers[97] or clerks in military cooperative shops.[98][99] In a report issued in March
2020, Amnesty International charged that Thai military conscripts face institutionalised abuse
systematically hushed up by military authorities.[100]

Critics observed that Thai military's main objective is to deal with internal rather than external
threats.[101] Internal Security Operations Command is called the political arm of the Thai
military, which has overlapping social and political functions with civilian bureaucracy. It also
has anti-democracy mission.[101] The military is also notorious for numerous corruption
incidents, such as accusation of human trafficking,[102] and nepotism in promotion of high-
ranking officers.[103] The military is deeply entrenched in politics. Most recently, the appointed
senators include more than 100 active and retired military.[104]

In 2017, Thailand signed and ratified the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
[105]

Education

Main article: Education in Thailand

The Royal Thai Armed Forces (กองทัพไทย; RTGS: Kong Thap Thai) constitute the military of

the Kingdom of Thailand. It consists of the Royal Thai Army (กองทัพบกไทย), the Royal Thai
Navy (กองทัพเรือไทย), and the Royal Thai Air Force (กองทัพอากาศไทย). It also incorporates
various paramilitary forces.

The Thai Armed Forces have a combined manpower of 306,000 active duty personnel and
another 245,000 active reserve personnel.[88] The head of the Thai Armed Forces (จอมทัพ
ไทย, Chom Thap Thai) is the king,[89] although this position is only nominal. The armed forces
are managed by the Ministry of Defence of Thailand, which is headed by the Minister of
Defence (a member of the cabinet of Thailand) and commanded by the Royal Thai Armed
Forces Headquarters, which in turn is headed by the Chief of Defence Forces of Thailand.
[90] Thai annual defense budget almost tripled from 78 billion baht in 2005 to 207 billion baht in
2016, accounting for approximately 1.5% of 2019 Thai GDP.[91] Thailand ranked 16th
worldwide in the Military Strength Index based on the Credit Suisse report in September 2015.

A Royal Thai Air Force JAS 39 Gripen

The military is also tasked with humanitarian missions, such as escorting Rohingya to Malaysia
or Indonesia,[92] ensuring security and welfare for refugees during Indochina refugee crisis.[93]

According to the constitution, serving in the armed forces is a duty of all Thai citizens.
[94] Thailand still use active draft system for males over the age of 21. They are subjected to
varying lengths of active service depending on the duration of reserve training as Territorial
Defence Student and their level of education. Those who have completed three years or more of
reserve training will be exempted entirely. The practice has long been criticized, as some media
question its efficacy and value.[95][96] It is alleged that conscripts end up as servants to senior
officers[97] or clerks in military cooperative shops.[98][99] In a report issued in March
2020, Amnesty International charged that Thai military conscripts face institutionalised abuse
systematically hushed up by military authorities.[100]

Critics observed that Thai military's main objective is to deal with internal rather than external
threats.[101] Internal Security Operations Command is called the political arm of the Thai
military, which has overlapping social and political functions with civilian bureaucracy. It also
has anti-democracy mission.[101] The military is also notorious for numerous corruption
incidents, such as accusation of human trafficking,[102] and nepotism in promotion of high-
ranking officers.[103] The military is deeply entrenched in politics. Most recently, the appointed
senators include more than 100 active and retired military.[104]

In 2017, Thailand signed and ratified the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
[105]

Education

Main article: Education in Thailand

Chulalongkorn University, established in 1917, is the oldest university in Thailand.

In 2018 the literacy rate was 93.8%. The youth literacy rate was 98.1% in 2015.[106] Education
is provided by a well-organised school system of kindergartens, primary, lower secondary and
upper secondary schools, numerous vocational colleges, and universities. The private sector of
education is well developed and significantly contributes to the overall provision of education
which the government would not be able to meet with public establishments. Education is
compulsory up to and including age 14, with the government providing free education through to
age 17. Thailand is the 3rd most popular study destination in Asean. The number of international
degree students in Thailand increased by fully 979% between 1999 and 2012, from 1,882 to
20,309 students. The most of international students come from Asian neighbor
countries[107] from China, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam.[108] The number of higher
education institutions in Thailand has grown strongly over the past decades from just a handful
of universities in the 1970s to 156 officially. The two top-ranking universities in Thailand
are Chulalongkorn University and Mahidol University.[109] Thai universities research output
still relatively low by international ranking comparison, Recent initiatives, such as the National
Research University from 9 universities around the country[110] and Graduate research intensive
university: VISTEC, designed to strengthen Thailand's national research universities, however,
appear to be gaining traction. Thailand's research output, as measured by journal publications,
increased by 20% between 2011 and 2016.[111]

Thailand is a country where school uniform is still mandatory.

Teaching relies heavily on rote learning rather than on student-centred methodology. The

establishment of reliable and coherent curricula for its primary and secondary schools is subject
to such rapid changes that schools and their teachers are not always sure what they are supposed
to be teaching, and authors and publishers of textbooks are unable to write and print new editions
quickly enough to keep up with the volatility. Issues concerning university entrance has been in
constant upheaval for a number of years. Nevertheless, Thai education has seen its greatest
progress in the years since 2001. Most of the present generation of students are computer literate.
Thailand was ranked 74th out of 100 countries globally for English proficiency.[112] Thailand
has the second highest number of English-medium private international schools in Southeast
Asian Nations, according to the International School Consultancy Group 181 schools around the
country in 2017 compared to just 10 international schools for expatriate children in 1992.[107]

Chulalongkorn University, established in 1917, is the oldest university in Thailand.

In 2018 the literacy rate was 93.8%. The youth literacy rate was 98.1% in 2015.[106] Education
is provided by a well-organised school system of kindergartens, primary, lower secondary and
upper secondary schools, numerous vocational colleges, and universities. The private sector of
education is well developed and significantly contributes to the overall provision of education
which the government would not be able to meet with public establishments. Education is
compulsory up to and including age 14, with the government providing free education through to
age 17. Thailand is the 3rd most popular study destination in Asean. The number of international
degree students in Thailand increased by fully 979% between 1999 and 2012, from 1,882 to
20,309 students. The most of international students come from Asian neighbor
countries[107] from China, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam.[108] The number of higher
education institutions in Thailand has grown strongly over the past decades from just a handful
of universities in the 1970s to 156 officially. The two top-ranking universities in Thailand
are Chulalongkorn University and Mahidol University.[109] Thai universities research output
still relatively low by international ranking comparison, Recent initiatives, such as the National
Research University from 9 universities around the country[110] and Graduate research intensive
university: VISTEC, designed to strengthen Thailand's national research universities, however,
appear to be gaining traction. Thailand's research output, as measured by journal publications,
increased by 20% between 2011 and 2016.[111]

Thailand is a country where school uniform is still mandatory.

Teaching relies heavily on rote learning rather than on student-centred methodology. The

establishment of reliable and coherent curricula for its primary and secondary schools is subject
to such rapid changes that schools and their teachers are not always sure what they are supposed
to be teaching, and authors and publishers of textbooks are unable to write and print new editions
quickly enough to keep up with the volatility. Issues concerning university entrance has been in
constant upheaval for a number of years. Nevertheless, Thai education has seen its greatest
progress in the years since 2001. Most of the present generation of students are computer literate.
Thailand was ranked 74th out of 100 countries globally for English proficiency.[112] Thailand
has the second highest number of English-medium private international schools in Southeast
Asian Nations, according to the International School Consultancy Group 181 schools around the
country in 2017 compared to just 10 international schools for expatriate children in 1992.[107]