Military history of Thailand

The military history of Thailand encompasses over 1300 years of armed struggle, from the establishment of Thai kingdoms to wars of independence from the powerful Khmer Empire, through centuries of wars with the regional rival Burma and periods of tense standoff and conflict with the colonial empires of Britain and France. Thailand's military history, dominated by its centrality in the south-eastern Asian region, the significance of its far flung and often hostile terrain, and the changing nature of military technology, has had a decisive impact on the evolution of both Thailand and its neighbours as modern nation states. In the post-war era, Thailand's military relationship with the United States has seen it play an important role in both the Cold War and the War on Terror, whilst Thai military involvement in domestic politics brought frequent international attention.