Bangkok: The Royal Thai Air Force is set to undergo a significant transformation by changing its name to the ‘Air Force and Space Force’, with plans to complete this transition by 2028. This move involves amending the Defense Act and establishing a new Air Force Command, modeled after the Royal Thai Navy’s Marine Department.
According to Thai News Agency, Air Chief Marshal Praphas Sornjai, the spokesperson for the Air Force, made this announcement following the first meeting of the armed forces’ commanders for the fiscal year 2025. The restructuring is directed by General Songwit Noonpakdee, the Supreme Commander, and Air Chief Marshal Panphakdee Pattanakul, the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Air Force. The initiative aims to safeguard national interests in space, valued at over 29 billion baht annually, impacting 35,600 businesses and employing 1.6 million individuals.
The Air Force is also planning to establish the ‘Air and Space National Interests Coordination Center’. This unit will operate under
the direct control of the Air Force Operations Center (AFOC), with the Air Force Chief of Staff overseeing its activities. Effective from 1 April 2025, this center will coordinate efforts both within and outside the Air Force.
Personnel from the Air Force Space Operations Center (AFOSOC), the Office of Security Mission Coordination with the Air Force Internal Security Operations Command (AFISOC), and related units will rotate their duties at this coordination center, with no increase in rates or salaries.
In parallel with the restructuring in 2025, the Air Force will draft the Defence Ministry Administration Act to facilitate the name change to ‘Air Force and Space Force’. Once approved by the Defence Council, the draft act will be submitted for consideration by the Council. Additionally, a National Air and Space Interests Protection Act will be proposed to establish a ‘National Air and Space Interests Protection Center’, similar to the Royal Thai Navy’s SRCL.
Both legislative drafts will be prepared in th
e fiscal year 2025 and will undergo scrutiny by the House of Representatives and the Constitutional Court to ensure they align with the constitution by 2026. Following this, they will be submitted for royal endorsement and publication in the Royal Gazette to be enacted as law, with the entire process anticipated to conclude by 2028.