Royal Thai Armed Forces and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief

Abstract

Due to changes in the environment and climate, there is a tendency for more violent and frequent natural disasters. The human population is more urbanized especially along the river banks or seaside areas. Therefore any damages  that happen will affect the lives and properties of the people in a wide circle. It also affects the economy and society as well. International organizations and governments recognize the importance of prevention and disaster management in a fully integrated manner. Thailand has the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Ministry of the Interior as the main agency responsible to coordinate, cooperate, collaborate and communicate the disaster management from all sectors involved including the Royal Thai Armed Forces, which stands ready to provide manpower and equipment for immediately assistance. The Royal Thai Armed Forces has the capacity to mitigate the disasters and provide humanitarian assistance both in the country and abroad. Joint and combined exercises with other related government agencies and the private sectors as well as with allied countries have been conducted on regular basis, particularly in the ASEAN framework. Furthermore, a training center has been established in Phanom Sarakham district, Chachoengsao province as an ASEAN Training Center to prepare military personnel to be able to work with civilian and allied forces in a consistent manner.