Military ranks of the Thai armed forces


Royal Thai Army

The Royal Thai Army is the land-based part of the Thai military.

Officers

Other ranks

Private 1st class is a rank assigned to conscripts after they have finished specialist training. They wear the same insignia as a lance corporal, who is a member who has completed his conscription obligation, and who has undertaken training at NCO school.

Royal Thai Navy

The Royal Thai Navy is the sea-based part of the Thai military. The Royal Thai Marine Corps is part of the RTN, and uses the same rank structure. Depending on the uniform, the rank insignia can be located on the shoulder or on the sleeves.

Officers

Naval officers will additionally add the post-nominal ร.น. as an abbreviation for ราชนาวี.

Other ranks

Royal Thai Air Force

The Royal Thai Air Force is the air based part of the Thai military. The rank system is modelled after that of the British Royal Air Force, but unlike the RAF, officers' cuff rank insignia are topped by a star above the lace stripes and all air marshals' rank insignia are also determined by one to five stars on the shoulder board.

Officers

Other ranks

Royal Thai Police

The Royal Thai Police is sometimes considered as the fourth armed service of Thailand, 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

Non-Commissioned Officers

Volunteer Defense Corps (Thailand)

The Volunteer Defense Corps is a Thai paramilitary under the authority of the Department Of Provincial Administration, Ministry of Interior. 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.

Officers

Enlisted

Rank structure

Chom is Chief of Forces Ranks below commander-in-chief use Thai alternate numbers.