Communist insurgency in Thailand

Communist insurgency in Thailand
	Part of the Cold War and Indochina Wars
	; A zinc bowl engraved with Thai message reading "Obliterate all the communists – out of the soil of Thailand" – a propaganda tool against communist insurgency in Thailand, discovered in Wanon Niwat district, Sakon Nakhon province
Date	1965–1983; (18 years)
Location	Thailand (primarily northeast Thailand)
Result	Thai government victory Amnesty declared on 23 April 1980 by the Thai government; Order 66/2523 signed by Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda; Communist insurgency declines and ends in 1983;
Belligerents
Thailand Royal Thai Armed Forces; Royal Thai Police; Volunteer Defense Corps; Thahan Phran; Internal Security Operations Command; Village Scouts; Nawaphon; Red Gaurs; Republic of China (until August 1967) Republic of China Army 49th Division; Malaysia; United States; KPNLF; Khmer Rouge (after 1978)	Communist Party of Thailand; Malayan Communist Party; Pathet Lao; Khmer Rouge (until 1978);
Commanders and leaders
Bhumibol Adulyadej; Thanom Kittikachorn; Praphas Charusathien; Thanin Kraivichien; Kriangsak Chamanan; Prem Tinsulanonda; Li Mi; Ibrahim Ismail; Richard Helms; Lucius D. Clay Jr.; Son Sann; Pol Pot (after 1978);	Phayom Chulanont; Udom Srisuwan; Damri Ruangsutham (POW); Wirat Anghathawon (POW); Thong Chaemsri (POW); Chit Phumisak †; Surachai Danwattananusorn (POW); Chin Peng; Souphanouvong; Pol Pot (before 1978);
Strength
Royal Thai Armed Forces: 127,700; Royal Thai Police: 45,800	1,000–12,000 rebels; 5,000–8,000 sympathizers
Casualties and losses
1966:; ~90 soldiers and police killed; 1967:; 33 soldiers and police killed; 1969–1971:; 1,450+ soldiers, police, and officials killed; 100+ wounded; 1972:; 418 soldiers and police killed	1966:; 133 insurgents killed and 49 captured; 1967:; 93 insurgents killed; unknown captured; 1969–1971:; 365+ insurgents killed; 30+ wounded; 49+ captured; 1972:; 1,172 insurgents killed; 1982:; Unknown killed; 3,000+ insurgents surrendered
	Unknown civilian deaths (3,008 killed by government forces alone in 1971–1973)

The communist insurgency in Thailand was a guerrilla war lasting from 1965 until 1983, fought mainly between the Communist Party of Thailand (CPT) and the government of Thailand. The war began to wind down in 1980 following the declaration of an amnesty, and in 1983, the CPT abandoned the insurgency entirely, ending the conflict.