Volunteer Defense Corps (Thailand)
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| Volunteer Defense Corps | |
|---|---|
| กองอาสารักษาดินแดน | |
 Emblem of the Volunteer Defense Corps | |
| Founded | 10 February 1954 |
| Country | Thailand |
| Type | Paramilitary |
| Role | Close-quarters combat Counterinsurgency Crowd control Executive protection Force protection Humanitarian aid HUMINT Internal security Jungle warfare Law enforcement Patrolling Psychological warfare Raiding Reconnaissance Tactical emergency medical services Urban warfare |
| Part of | Department of Provincial Administration, Ministry of Interior[1] |
| Garrison/HQ | Bangkok, Thailand |
| Engagements | Communist insurgency in Thailand South Thailand Insurgency |
| Commanders | |
| Minister of Interior | VDC General Anutin Charnvirakul |
The Volunteer Defense Corps (Thai: กองอาสารักษาดินแดน; abbreviated VDC) is a paramilitary under the authority of the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA), Ministry of Interior.[1] It was founded in 1954 to provide extra military support to the Royal Thai Armed Forces and to protect local civilians living near Thailand's borders.[2][3]
History
[edit]The Volunteer Defense Corps (colloquially called Or Sor in Thailand) was formally established on 10 February 1954[4][3] by the Thai Border Patrol Police (BPP) in response to complaints by civilians of banditry and harassment by insurgent and separatist organizations. Originally, the VDC's purpose was to protect civilians from insurgents who had crossed into Thai border provinces from neighboring Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia. VDC members were trained by the BPP and sent to protect civilians and farms from extortion and attacks by insurgents.[5]
In 1974, the VDC was expanded by the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) to urban areas to fight communist insurgents. In the late-1980s, VDC strength was estimated at 33,000, down from a peak of about 52,000 in 1980. Part of the decrease in numbers was due to the formation of the Thahan Phran, a paramilitary unit formed to counter communist insurgents, which absorbed some units of the VDC.
Since 2004, the VDC has had a major role in fighting the South Thailand insurgency.[2][6]
Volunteer Defense Corps ranks
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- Officers
| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Volunteer Defense Corps
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| VDC General | VDC Colonel | VDC Lieutenant Colonel | VDC Major | VDC Captain | VDC First Lieutenant | VDC Second Lieutenant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VDC Gen | VDC Col | VDC Lt Col | VDC Maj | VDC Capt | VDC 1st Lt | VDC 2nd Lt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Enlisted
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Volunteer Defense Corps
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| VDC Sergeant Major | VDC Sergeant | VDC Corporal | VDC Private First Class | VDC Member | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VDC Sgt Maj | VDC Sgt | VDC Cpl | VDC Pfc | VDC Mbr | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
References
[edit]- ^ a b Page 26 Volume 133, Section 6 Kor, Government Gazette, 18 January 2016: ministerial regulations:Division of the Department of Provincial Administration ministry of interior
- ^ a b "Southern Thailand: The Problem with Paramilitaries". Asia Report (140). International Crisis Group: 14–15. 23 October 2007. Archived from the original on 8 February 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
- ^ a b "The organization of the ""Volunteer Defense Division"" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
- ^ "Volunteer Defense Corps Act, 1954" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 9, 2011.
- ^ "Making sense of defense volunteers". The Phuket News. Archived from the original on November 23, 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
- ^ "Sixty-three Years of Volunteer Defense Corps". Department of Provincial Administration (in Thai). pp. 78–79. Archived from the original on January 5, 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
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