Editing Thailand (section)

=== Armed forces ===
{{Main|Royal Thai Armed Forces}}

[[File:Chakri Naruebet 2001.JPEG|thumb|right|The [[HTMS Chakri Naruebet|HTMS ''Chakri Naruebet'']], an [[aircraft carrier]] of the [[Royal Thai Navy]]]]
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.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}

The Thai Armed Forces have a combined manpower of 306,000 active duty personnel and another 245,000 active reserve personnel.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Thailand Military Strength |url=http://www.globalfirepower.com/country-military-strength-detail.asp?country_id=Thailand |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208024629/http://www.globalfirepower.com/country-military-strength-detail.asp?country_id=Thailand |archive-date=8 February 2015 |access-date=15 December 2014 |website=Global Firepower}}</ref> The [[Monarchy of Thailand|head of the Thai Armed Forces]] (จอมทัพไทย, ''Chom Thap Thai'') is the king,<ref>[[s:2007 Constitution of Thailand#Chapter 2 : The King|Chapter 2 of the 2007 Constitution of Thailand]]</ref> although this position is only nominal. The armed forces are managed by the [[Ministry of Defence (Thailand)|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 [[List of Commanders of the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters|Chief of Defence Forces of Thailand]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=_cf63a28daf.jpg (3194×2055) |url=https://strapi.rtarf.mi.th/uploads/_cf63a28daf.jpg |access-date=2 January 2024 |website=กองบัญชาการกองทัพไทย |language=th |archive-date=1 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101173458/https://strapi.rtarf.mi.th/uploads/_cf63a28daf.jpg |url-status=live }}</ref> Thai annual defence budget almost tripled from US$1.98 billion in 2005 to US$5.88 billion in 2016, accounting for approximately 1.4% of GDP.<ref name="World Bank Open Data">{{Cite web |title=World Bank Open Data |url=https://data.worldbank.org/ |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=World Bank Open Data |archive-date=26 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526025607/https://data.worldbank.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Thailand ranked 16th worldwide in the [[List of countries by Military Strength Index|Military Strength Index]] based on the [[Credit Suisse]] report in September 2015.<ref name="CreditSuisse2015">{{cite report|url=http://publications.credit-suisse.com/tasks/render/file/index.cfm?fileid=EE7A6A5D-D9D5-6204-E9E6BB426B47D054|title=The End of Globalization or a more Multipolar World?|publisher=[[Credit Suisse]] AG|first1=Michael|last1=O'Sullivan|first2=Krithika|last2=Subramanian|date=2015-10-17|access-date=2017-07-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215235711/http://publications.credit-suisse.com/tasks/render/file/index.cfm?fileid=EE7A6A5D-D9D5-6204-E9E6BB426B47D054|archive-date=15 February 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[File:Exercise Cope Tiger (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|A Royal Thai Air Force [[JAS 39 Gripen]]]]

The military is also tasked with humanitarian missions, such as escorting [[Rohingya]] to Malaysia or Indonesia,<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 July 2019 |title=Thailand Offers Persecuted Rohingya Little Hope |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/07/31/thailand-offers-persecuted-rohingya-little-hope |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609171802/https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/07/31/thailand-offers-persecuted-rohingya-little-hope |archive-date=9 June 2020 |access-date=27 May 2020 |publisher=Human Rights Watch}}</ref> ensuring security and welfare for refugees during [[Indochina refugee crisis]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2Z6aDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA13 |title=Battlefield Bangkok: The Royal Thai Army 2000–2014 |date=4 April 2015 |publisher=Dean Wilson |isbn=9781326046767 |access-date=1 July 2020 |archive-date=28 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328150811/https://books.google.com/books?id=2Z6aDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA13#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref>

According to the constitution, serving in the armed forces is a duty of all Thai citizens.<ref>[[s:2007 Constitution of Thailand#Chapter 4: Duties of the Thai People|Chapter 4 of the 2007 Constitution of Thailand]]</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite news |date=29 August 2018 |title=Let's stop forcing boys to be soldiers |work=The Nation |department=Opinion |url=https://www.nationthailand.com/detail/opinion/30353201 |url-status=live |access-date=29 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828235424/http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/opinion/30353201 |archive-date=28 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=24 March 2018 |title=Do away with conscription |work=Bangkok Post |department=Opinion |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1434054/do-away-with-conscription |access-date=29 August 2018 |archive-date=28 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328150820/https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1434054/do-away-with-conscription |url-status=live }}</ref> It is alleged that conscripts end up as servants to senior officers<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 July 2018 |title=Prawit denies servant for officer policy |work=Bangkok Post |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/1505262/prawit-denies-servant-for-officer-policy |access-date=18 July 2018 |archive-date=28 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328150838/https://ow.pubmatic.com/setuid?bidder=amx&uid=b79ee476-fd20-4793-9474-9de566f7904e&do=www.bangkokpost.com |url-status=live }}</ref> or clerks in military cooperative shops.<ref>{{Cite news |date=3 November 2017 |title=Ex-private stands firm after being harassed online for criticising military |work=Pratchatai English |url=https://prachatai.com/english/node/7454 |url-status=live |access-date=4 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107021744/https://prachatai.com/english/node/7454 |archive-date=7 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=19 July 2018 |title=Conscripts aren't servants |work=Bangkok Post |department=Opinion |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1506062/conscripts-arent-servants |access-date=20 July 2018 |archive-date=28 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328150837/https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1506062/conscripts-arent-servants |url-status=live }}</ref> In a report issued in March 2020, [[Amnesty International]] charged that Thai military conscripts face institutionalised abuse systematically hushed up by military authorities.<ref>{{Cite news |date=23 March 2020 |title=Weeks after Korat massacre, Amnesty report describes conscript abuses |work=Bangkok Post |agency=Reuters|url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1884760/weeks-after-korat-massacre-amnesty-report-describes-conscript-abuses |access-date=23 March 2020 |archive-date=28 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328151325/https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1884760/weeks-after-korat-massacre-amnesty-report-describes-conscript-abuses |url-status=live }}</ref>

Critics observed that Thai military's main objective is to deal with internal rather than external threats.<ref name="Asia Sentinel 2017">{{Cite news |date=14 November 2017 |title=Thailand's Deep State—The Military |work=[[Asia Sentinel]] |url=https://www.asiasentinel.com/politics/thailand-military-deep-state/ |url-status=live |access-date=15 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114130725/https://www.asiasentinel.com/politics/thailand-military-deep-state/ |archive-date=14 November 2017}}</ref> [[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.<ref name="Asia Sentinel 2017" /> The military is also notorious for numerous corruption incidents, such as accusation of [[human trafficking in Thailand|human trafficking]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 July 2013 |title=Thai Navy Accused of Involvement in Smuggling Rohingya Muslims |url=https://www.chiangraitimes.com/thailand-national-news/news-asia-thailand/thai-navy-accused-of-involvement-in-smuggling-rohingya-muslims/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929171722/https://www.chiangraitimes.com/thailand-national-news/news-asia-thailand/thai-navy-accused-of-involvement-in-smuggling-rohingya-muslims/ |archive-date=29 September 2020 |access-date=27 May 2020}}</ref> and [[nepotism]] in promotion of high-ranking officers.<ref>{{Cite news |last=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=16 April 2016 |title="บิ๊กติ๊ก"ตั้งลูก ติดยศทหาร อ้างให้งานทำ |work=[[Post Today]] |url=https://www.posttoday.com/politic/news/426850 |url-status=live |access-date=29 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190620150611/https://www.posttoday.com/politic/news/426850 |archive-date=20 June 2019}}</ref> The military is deeply entrenched in politics. Most recently, the appointed senators include more than 100 active and retired military.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Thai Junta Fills Senate with Military, Police Officers |work=Benar News |url=https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/thai/senate-list-05142019154817.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926050110/https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/thai/senate-list-05142019154817.html |archive-date=26 September 2020 |access-date=26 May 2020 |publisher=benarnews}}</ref>

Thailand is the 75th most peaceful country in the world, according to the 2024 [[Global Peace Index]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2024 Global Peace Index |url=https://www.economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/GPI-2024-web.pdf}}</ref>