Forces: January 18, 2002

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: Thailand relies on three different forces to control its porous and ill-defined borders: the Royal Thai Army, the Border Patrol Police, and the Thahan Prabhad (Hunters or Rangers). The Rangers are considered a paramilitary organization, many of its 11,000 soldiers serve only part time. After a recent reorganization, the Ranger headquarters was disbanded and control of the Rangers was distributed to the four Army regional headquarters. The Rangers include 13 regimental headquarters (each 46 personnel), 107 companies (each 90 troops), and 12 Women's Squads (11 women each). Of these, five regiments (31st, 32nd, 35th, 36th, and 14th) with 37 companies are posted on the border with Myanmar, where they cooperate with Army and Police units (since there is a lot of fighting in these areas involving Burmese rebel units). The other regiments guard the Cambodian and Laotian borders, largely on their own.--Stephen V Cole