Royal Thai Armed Forces (Kongthap Thai, RTARF): Royal Thai Army (Kongthap Bok Thai, RTA; includes Thai Rangers (Thahan Phrahan)), Royal Thai Navy (Kongthap Ruea Thai, RTN; includes Royal Thai Marine Corps), Royal Thai Air Force (Kongthap Akaat Thai, RTAF); Office of the Prime Minister: Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC; oversees counter-insurgency operations, as well as countering terrorism, narcotics and weapons trafficking, and other internal security duties); Ministry of Interior: Volunteer Defense Corps (2021)
note: the Thai Rangers (aka Thahan Phrahan or 'Hunter Soldiers') is a paramilitary force formed in 1978 to clear Communist Party of Thailand guerrillas from mountain strongholds in the country's northeast; it is a light infantry force led by regular officers and non-commissioned officers and comprised of both full- and part-time personnel; it conducts counterinsurgency operations in the southern region; on the eastern border with Laos and Cambodia, the Rangers have primary responsibility for border surveillance and protection
Malaysian Armed Forces (Angkatan Tentera Malaysia, ATM): Malaysian Army (Tentera Darat Malaysia), Royal Malaysian Navy (Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia, TLDM), Royal Malaysian Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia, TUDM); Ministry of Home Affairs: the Royal Malaysian Police (PRMD, includes the General Operations Force, a paramilitary force with a variety of roles, including patrolling borders, counter-terrorism, maritime security, and counterinsurgency) (2021)
note: Malaysia created a National Special Operations Force in 2016 for combating terrorism threats; the force is comprised of personnel from the Armed Forces, the Royal Malaysian Police, and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (Malaysian Coast Guard, MMEA)
Military service age and obligation
21 years of age for compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; males register at 18 years of age; 2-year conscript service obligation based on lottery (2019)
17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service (younger with parental consent and proof of age); mandatory retirement age 60; women serve in the Malaysian Armed Forces; no conscription (2019)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
1.4% of GDP (2020 est.)
1.3% of GDP (2019)
1.4% of GDP (2018)
1.6% of GDP (2017)
1.6% of GDP (2016)
0.9% of GDP (2020 est.)
1% of GDP (2019)
1% of GDP (2018)
1.1% of GDP (2017)
1.4% of GDP (2016)
Military and security service personnel strengths
estimates for the size of the Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) vary widely; approximately 350,000 active duty personnel (240,000 Army; 65,000 Navy; 45,000 Air Force); est. 20,000 Thai Rangers; est. 5-6,000 Internal Security Operations Command (2020)
the Malaysian Armed Forces have approximately 115,000 active duty troops (80,000 Army; 18,000 Navy; 17,000 Air Force) (2020)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the RTARF has a diverse array of foreign-supplied weapons systems, including a large amount of obsolescent or second-hand US equipment; since 2010, Thailand has received military equipment from nearly 20 countries with China, South Korea, Sweden, Ukraine, and the US as the leading suppliers (2020)
the Malaysian Armed Forces field a diverse mix of imported weapons systems; the top suppliers of military hardware since 2010 are France, Germany, Spain, and Turkey (2020)
