Royal Thai Marine Corps

History

Historically, there was no distinction in the Kingdom of Siam between soldiers and marines, with the army performing both functions. The first "Thahan Ma-Rine", meaning "Marine Soldiers", were formed in 1833, during the reign of King Rama III. "Ma-Rine" was simply a transliteration of the English word. The development of the modern Thai Marine Corps can be divided into three periods:

Early years

The Marine Soldiers of the 19th and early 20th centuries were few in number and served mainly as a royal honor guard that provided security for the King whenever he traveled around the country.

On March 2, 1913, however, the Ministry of the Navy reorganized the Marine Soldiers. The Marine artillery platoon was attached to the Operation Command Department of Ships and Fortresses, while the Marine infantry platoon in Bangkok was attached to the Vehicle Division of the Department of the Navy Amphibious Assault Group.

The Revolution in 1932 transformed Thailand from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. Shortly after, the Royal Thai Navy was reorganized, and the vehicle battalion became the Marine Corps Battalion of the Bangkok Navy Station. This is considered the first Marine Corps Battalion in Thailand.

Post–1932 Revolution (1932–1955)

The 2nd Marine Corps Battalion was established at Sattahip in 1937. Two years later, the 2nd Battalion was expanded into the Marine Corps Department. Shortly after that, a border dispute with French Indochina turned violent, and the Marine Corps Department's "Chanthaburi Division" was engaged in action with the French Foreign Legion (FFL) several times. During World War II, the Marine Corps sent troops to defend the southern border with British Malaya and also guarded Phuket Province from possible attack.

After Empire of Japan's surrender in September 1945, Thai marines helped disarm the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) at Baan Pong District in Ratchaburi Province. In 1950, when communist violence in British Malaya spilled over into Thailand, Marine Corps Troop 6 was sent to help restore the peace in Narathiwat Province.

On June 29, 1951, the Thai government disbanded the Marine Corps Bureau, and Marine units were placed under the command the Army. This was in response to the Manhattan Rebellion in which part of the Navy (including Marines) rebelled against the ruling Army junta. However, this was during the Korean War, and both the United States Armed Forces and the Royal Thai Navy urged Thailand to reconsider.

New Age (1955–present)

Four years later, the Thai Government acknowledged that a Marine Corps could perform a useful role in national defense. On July 30, 1955, the government created the Marine Corps Department. In 1961, tensions flared over the disputed temple of Preah Vihear, situated on the Thai side of a high cliff on the Cambodian border but shown on French maps as being in Cambodia. The Chanthaburi and Trat borders with Cambodia gave the Marine Corps Department its first assignment, safeguarding the coastline and southeastern border. Since 1970 the Marine Corps' Chanthaburi-Trat Task Force has been officially assigned the defense of this area.

During 1972 and 1973, Thai marines were involved in the "Operation Sam-Chai" anti-communist operations in Phetchabun Province and the "Pha-Phum" anti-communist operations in Chiang Rai Province. In 1973 and 1974, they took part in anti-communist operations in the southern provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, and Yala.

Since 1975, RTMC have been assigned to Narathiwat as Reconnaissance Battalion (RECON). In 1977, they captured the communist camp at Krung-Ching in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, and remaining there until 1981.

RTMC today are responsible for border security in Chanthaburi and Trat provinces. They have fought communist insurgents in engagements at Baan Hard Lek, Baan Koat Sai, Baan Nhong Kok, Baan Kradook Chang, Baan Chumrark, and in the battle of Hard Don Nai in Nakhon Phanom Province.

Since 1982, RTMC has been training with international marines, especially the United States Marine Corps, under the codename Cobra Gold (CG), which allows RTMC to gain many experience in new strategies and tactics to adapt to the current military situation. Meanwhile, marines from other nations participating in the training will gain experience in combat tactics and survival in the tropical rain forest.

At present, since 2004, Many Thai marines have died serving their country, and they continue to do so today, especially in the southern border provinces currently affected by the South Thailand insurgency, although hey are trained more intensively in anti-irrgular forces and counterinsurgency in urban areas. In real situations, Thai marines will be more flexible in their tactics according to the situation to minimize losses. Despite suffering significant casualties and losses, the Thai marines performed well especially in the difficult to reach drainage basin and jungle zone.

One of the Thai marines' most famous works during the South Thailand insurgency is Battle of Bacho. Despite being outnumbered and surrounded by superior Runda Kumpulan Kecil (RKK) insurgent forces, the Thai marines planned well to win the battle with no casualties. On the RKK side, a total of sixteen soldiers were killed during the attack on the 2nd Rifle Company Base, 32nd Task Force Narathiwat. This Battle of Bacho is considered the largest clash in which the death toll was from a group of insurgents who were fully armed.

A monument to their valor stands at the Royal Thai Navy base (aka Sattahip Naval Base) at Sattahip district, Chonburi province.

United Nations Peacekeeping Operations

• Iraq United Nations Iraq–Kuwait Observation Mission
  • 1 Combat Engineer Company in Iraq
• Burundi United Nations Operation in Burundi
  • 1 Combat Engineer Company in Burundi
• Sudan United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur
• Sudan United Nations Mission in Sudan
  • 1 Force Reconnaissance Company in Sudan
  • 1 Armored Company in Sudan

Organization

Royal Thai Marine Corps Headquarters

• Royal Thai Marine Corps Education Command
  • Marine Corps School
  • Recruit Training Division
  • Support Division
• RTMC: Marine Division
  • RTMC: 1st Marine Regiment
    • RTMC: 1st Infantry Battalion King's Guard
    • RTMC: 2nd Infantry Battalion
    • RTMC: 3rd Infantry Battalion
  • RTMC: 2nd Marine Regiment
    • RTMC: 4th Infantry Battalion
    • RTMC: 5th Infantry Battalion
    • RTMC: 6th Infantry Battalion
  • RTMC: 3rd Marine Regiment
    • RTMC: 7th Infantry Battalion
    • RTMC: 8th Infantry Battalion
    • RTMC: 9th Infantry Battalion King's Guard
  • ** RTMC: Marine Artillery Regiment**
    • RTMC: 1st Artillery Battalion
    • RTMC: 2nd Artillery Battalion
    • RTMC: Air Defense Artillery Battalion
    • RTMC: 4th Artillery Battalion
  • ** RTMC: Marine Service Support Regiment**
    • RTMC: Medical Battalion
    • RTMC: Dental Battalion
    • RTMC: Maintenance Battalion
    • RTMC: Transport Battalion
    • RTMC: Marine Assault Amphibious Vehicle Support Company
    • RTMC: Marine Band Platoon
  • RTMC Reconnaissance Battalion also known as (Force Recon/Marine Special Operations Force/RECON)
  • RTMC: Marine Assault Amphibian Vehicle Battalion: equipped with AAV-7A1 and BTR-3E1
  • RTMC: Marine Tank Battalion: equipped with Type 69-ll MBT
    • RTMC: Anti-Tank Company
  • RTMC: Marine Combat Engineer Battalion:
  • RTMC: Marine Signals Battalion
  • RTMC: Marine Military Police Company
• RTMC: Marine Security Regiment
• RTMC: Marine Psychological Operations Company
• RTMC: Marine Task Forces
  • RTMC: Marine 61st Special Operations Center
  • RTMC: Marines Task Unit 411
  • RTMC: Paramilitary Marine Regiment

Miscellaneous

• The Royal Thai Marine Corps uses the Subskimmer

Equipment

Small arms

Rocket, grenade and MANPAD

Combat vehicles

Logistic vehicles

Field artillery

Historical equipment

Armoured fighting vehicles

Field artillery

Combat Engagements

• World War II
  • Franco-Thai War
  • Pacific War
• Cold War
  • Communist insurgency in Thailand
  • Communist insurgency in Malaysia
  • Third Indochina War
  • Cambodian–Vietnamese War
  • Vietnamese border raids in Thailand
  • Thai–Laotian Border War
• 1999 East Timorese crisis
  • International Force East Timor
• Global war on terrorism
• Southern Insurgency
  • Battle of Bacho (2013)
• United Nations peacekeeping
  • United Nations Iraq–Kuwait Observation Mission
  • United Nations Operation in Burundi
  • United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur
  • United Nations Mission in Sudan
• Cambodia–Thailand border dispute
  • 2025 Cambodia–Thailand clashes

In popular culture

• Mercury Man is a 2006 Thai superhero martial arts action film. It is directed by Bhandit Thongdee with martial arts choreography by Panna Rittikrai of Ong-Bak, Tom-Yum-Goong and Born to Fight. Thai marines is control Afghan terrorist group in movies.

Rank structure

Main article: Military ranks of the Thai armed forces

Personnel of the RTMC use the uniform, ranks and insignia used by the personnel of the Royal Thai Navy, but with exceptions, such as:

• Personnel of the RTMC wear combat helmets as part of their ceremonial uniforms instead of sailor caps or peaked caps (except officers who wear peaked caps)
• Usually, Marines wear naval style insignia on the chest marks in their combat uniforms
• Marines wear in semi-formal situations the Navy's khaki dress uniform

Notes

References

1. (15 February 2023). "The Military Balance 2023". [[Routledge]].
2. (29 June 2018). "Battlefield Bangkok: The Time the Navy Defied the Army – and Lost".
3. http://www.marines.navy.mi.th/index.php/main/index www.marines.navy.mi.th/index.php/main/
4. "Fast on water".
5. (26 September 2019). "royal-thai-navy-ยุทโธปกรณ์ในกองทัพเรือ".
6. (2 May 2018). "ผบ.ทร. โชว์ยิงอาวุธปืนประจำกายทหาร นย.ไทย".
7. "From the picture is Royal Thai navy Recon Force Duties for security in southern Thailand. Use Hk G36C with EoTech 552, An/peq15 and an/pvs7 night vision goggles.".
8. (10 October 2012). "Royal Thai special force หน่วยรบพิเศษของไทย [HD]". YouTube.
9. "DVIDS – Images – Multinational Recon Marines hone live-fire skills [Image 2 of 8]". DVIDS.
10. "หน่วยที่ทำหน้าที่ในการต่อต้านการก่อการร้าย".
11. "Royal Thai Navy selects Norinco for AAV requirement". Janes.com.
12. (2023). "สทป. ส่งมอบยานเกราะล้อยาง 8X8 พยัคฆ์ทะเล สำหรับปฏิบัติภารกิจของหน่วยบัญชาการนาวิกโยธิน ให้กับกองทัพเรือ ณ สนามฝึกกองทัพเรือ หมายเลข 16 บ้านจันทเขลม จังหวัดจันทบุรี".
13. "HMV-150 4x4 APC based on US V-150 Thailand navy Panus assembly 10807171 – weapons defence industry military technology UK – analysis focus army defence military industry army".
14. (1 September 2020). "Thai marines to get First Win IIs". shephardmedia.com.
15. (2018). "Weapon and Technology: ไทยทำ ไทยใช้ ไทยเจริญ ตอนที่ 2 Phantom-380X by Panus".
16. "Janes | Latest defence and security news".
17. (2023-11-14). "Royal Thai Army Expands M758 Autonomous Truck-Mounted Gun (ATMG) Production".
18. (2 January 2021). "Thailand to order 12 French Nexter LG1 Mk III 105mm towed guns". armyrecognition.
19. (2025-07-26). ""ตราดพิฆาตไพรี1" นาวิกโยธิน ผลักดัน ทหารเขมร ลุกล้ำเขตแดนไทย 3 จุด จนถอยหนีกระเจิง ทหารไทยปลอดภัยควบคุมพื้นที่ได้ทั้งหมด".