1st Infantry Regiment (Thailand)

The Royal Guards were established by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) of Siam in 1859, when he was still a young prince. Initially, the Royal Guards were servants with duties such as scaring crows, which led to commoners referring to them as the "Mahat Lek Lai Ka," roughly translated as "Scarecrow Corps."

When he succeeded his father in 1868, King Chulalongkorn took his Royal Guard and formed a 24-strong Royal Bodyguard, referred to as the "Thahan Song Lo" (Two-Dozen soldiers"). In 1870, the unit was upgraded into a full army regiment and was given the name the "King's Guard" and their duties included escorting the king while he travelled around the country. The king commanded the regiment himself until 1873, when he appointed Lieutenant General Chao Phraya Phasakornwongse as its first military commander.

The Royal Guards still exist down to the present and serve as protectors of the royal family of Thailand.[4][5]

On 18 January 2019, the unit has renamed to 1st King's Own Bodyguard Regiment.[6] Then, on 23 April 2019, The unit has renamed again to 1st Infantry Regiment, King's Close Bodyguard.[7]

On October 1, 2019, the command of the unit was transferred from the 1st Division, King's Guard to the Royal Security Command under the command of King Vajiralongkorn, along with 11th Infantry Regiment. Thereby removing the two units out of the chain of command of the Royal Thai Army and into the monarchy.[8]

• Prince Bhanurangsi Savangwongse Commander of the regiment 1879-1885
• Prince Damrong Rajanubhab Commander of the regiment 1885-1892
• Crown Prince Maha Vajiravudh (later King Rama VI) Commander of the regiment 1901-1910
• Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath Commander of the regiment 1910-1919
• Paribatra Sukhumbandhu Commander of the regiment 1923-1932
• Prince Mahidol Adulyadej as a special Colonel of the regiment in 1926
• Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat Commander of the regiment 1945–1948, Prime Minister of Thailand 1958-1963
• Field Marshal Praphas Charusathien Commander of the regiment 1948–1951, Commander in Chief of the Army 1964-1973
• General Kris Sivara, Commander in Chief of the Army 1973-1975
• HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn as an honorary Captain of the regiment in 1965 and a battalion commander in 1980
• Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the Princess Royal as an honorary Captain of the regiment in 1977

• 
  King Chulaongkorn, the founder of the unit, in the scarlet uniform of the regiment
• 
  King Prajadhipok in the scarlet uniform, with the old style helmet to the right of the picture
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  1st Infantry Regiment in the Royal Funeral Procession of King Ananda Mahidol
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  Regimental colours of the 1st King's Own Bodyguard Regiment
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  Red ceremonial uniform of the regiment, used by the 1st, 2nd battalion and former 4th battalion
• 
  Distinctive white and pink uniform of the 3rd Battalion
• 
  White uniforms of the regiment, changing of the guards at the Grand Palace in Bangkok

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1st Infantry Regiment, King's Own Bodyguard (Thailand).

• List of army units called Guards
• King's Guard (Thailand)
• Thai Royal Guards parade
• Monarchy of Thailand
• Head of the Royal Thai Armed Forces

• Official Website of the 1st Infantry Regiment