Bangkok: The Royal Thai Army and the Japanese Army strengthened their relationship, moving forward to develop military cooperation for the future security of the Asia-Pacific region. Meanwhile, the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army emphasized solving the Cambodian problem through negotiation mechanisms.
According to Thai News Agency, General Pana Klaewplodthuk, the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army, welcomed General Morishita Yasunori, the Commander of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, on the occasion of his official visit to Thailand as a guest of the Royal Thai Army. The Royal Thai Army organized a ceremony to inspect the honor guard and took a tour of the Royal Thai Army Museum in Honor of His Majesty the King before paying a courtesy call to the Commander-in-Chief and listening to a briefing on the missions and cooperation between the two armies. On this occasion, the Royal Thai Army organized a ceremony to present the honorary parachutist badge and presented a certificate to honor the Commander-in-Chief of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.
During the official discussion, the Commanders-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army of both countries shared their views on upgrading the relationship between the two armies, especially in the dimensions of personnel development in both training and education to be sustainable, especially the training on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in the joint/combined exercise under the code name Cobra Gold, in which Japan and Thailand play important roles under the cooperation framework of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting with Dialogue Partners. The Royal Thai Army will be upgraded from an observer to a main participant in the exercise under the code name Nankai Rescue, which is a symbol of trust and closer cooperation.
In terms of education, Japan has continuously provided training seats in various advanced courses, including the National Defense College, the Army War College, the Army Command and General Staff College, and especially the Combined Arms Cadets Course, which the Japanese Army Chief said was a special relationship that could not be compared with any other country, emphasizing the trust and bond between the two countries that goes deeper than just the military aspect.
At the end of the discussion, Japan expressed its concern over the conflict situation between Thailand and Cambodia, stating that both countries are close allies of Japan that want to see peace and stability in this region. The Thai Army Chief confirmed that Thailand is ready to conduct bilateral negotiations through the RBC, GBC and JBC mechanisms and believes that if negotiations are held at such levels, the situation will return to normal soon.
In addition, the Japanese Army expressed its expectation and delight that Thailand will host the Staff Talk between the two armies in August 2025, and invited the Thai Army Commander to visit Japan officially in 2026, which is another important step to further strengthen the relationship between the two armies.
All of this reflects that cooperation between the Royal Thai Army and the Japanese Army is not limited to strategy or training, but also includes the exchange of knowledge and laying the foundation for long-term personnel development. It is a friendship built on the foundation of trust and mutual respect, with the goal of peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region in the future.