Editing Royal Thai Armed Forces (section)

===Ancient military forces===
{{Main|History of the Thai armed forces before 1852}}
The '''Royal Siamese Armed Forces''' was the military arm of the [[Thai monarchy|Siamese monarchy]] from the 12th to the 19th centuries. It refers to the military forces of the [[Sukhothai Kingdom]], the [[Ayutthaya Kingdom]], the [[Thonburi Kingdom]] and the early [[Rattanakosin Kingdom]] in chronological order. The Siamese army was one of the dominant armed forces in Southeast Asia. As Thailand has never been colonized by a European power, the Royal Thai Armed Forces boasts one of the longest and uninterrupted military traditions in Asia.

The army was organized into a small standing army of a few thousand, which defended the capital and the palace, and a much larger [[conscription]]-based wartime army. Conscription was based on the "ahmudan" system, which required local chiefs to supply, in times of war, a predetermined quota of men from their jurisdiction on the basis of population. The wartime army also consisted of [[war elephants|elephantry]], [[cavalry]], [[artillery]], and [[navy|naval]] units.

In 1852, the Royal Siamese Armed Forces came into existence as permanent force at the behest of King [[Mongkut]], who needed a [[Europe]]an trained military force to thwart any Western threat and any attempts at colonialisation. By 1887, during the next reign of King [[Chulalongkorn]], a permanent military command in the [[Kalahom|''Kalahom'' Department]] was established. The office of ''Kalahom'', as a permanent office of war department, was established by King [[Borommatrailokkanat]] (1431–1488) in the mid-15th century during the [[Ayutthaya Kingdom]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080624075931/http://aarm2007.rta.mi.th/history_royal_th.htm The Royal Thai Army. Brief History]. rta.mi.th</ref> [[Siam]]'s history of organized warfare is thus one of Asia's longest and uninterrupted military traditions.<ref>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/thailand/mil-history.htm Military History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090427212330/http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/thailand/mil-history.htm |date=27 April 2009 }}. www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved on 18 January 2012.</ref> However, since 1932, when the military, with the help of civilians, [[Siamese Revolution of 1932|overthrew]] the system of [[absolute monarchy]] and instead created a [[constitutional monarchy|constitutional]] system, the military has dominated and been in control of [[Politics of Thailand|Thai politics]], providing it with many [[Prime Ministers of Thailand|prime ministers]] and carrying out many [[coup d'état|coups d'état]], the [[2014 Thai coup d'état|most recent]] being in 2014.