History of the Thai armed forces before 1852

The infantry was the backbone of the wartime Siamese army, and was supported by special branches—the elephantry, cavalry, artillery, and naval corps. These special branches were formed by the men from certain hereditary villages that provided the men with specialized skills. In a typical Ayutthaya or Rattanakosin formation, a 1000-strong infantry regiment was supported by 100 horses and 10 war elephants.

The main use of war elephants was to charge the enemy, trampling them and breaking their ranks. Although the elephantry units made up only about one percent of the overall strength, they were a major component of Siamese war strategy throughout the imperial era. The army on the march would bring expert catchers of wild elephants.

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  War elephant and traditional Thai weapons in Bangkok National Museum.
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  A Thai painting depicting Queen Suriyothai (center) on her war elephant putting herself between King Maha Chakkraphat (right) and Viceroy of Prome (left).
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  Elephant duel between Naresuan and Mingyi Swa as wall murals in Phra Ubosot, Wat Suwan Dararam, Ayutthaya.
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  Pictured in this contemporary Siamese painting, the mercenary army of Japanese adventurer Yamada Nagamasa played a pivotal role in court intrigue during the first half of the 17th century.

From the 17th century onward, cavalry troops made up about 10% of a typical regiment. The men of the cavalry were drawn mainly from hereditary villages.

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  Naresuan, the Crown Prince of Ayutthaya, defeating Lak Wai Tham Mu (ลักไวทำมู), a military general of Taungoo, during a battle in 1586/87.

During the 16th century, the Siamese artillery and musketeer corps were originally made up exclusively of foreign (European and Muslim) mercenaries.

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  A small artillery in Bangkok National Museum.
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  A cannon at Bangkok National Museum.
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  Canons line up in Bangkok National Museum

The naval arm of the army consisted mainly of river-faring war boats. Its primary missions were to control the Chao Phraya River, and to protect the ships carrying the army to the front. The major war boats carried up to 30 musketeers and were armed with 6- or 12-pounder cannon. By the mid-18th century, the navy had acquired a few seafaring ships, manned by European and foreign sailors.

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  An Ayutthaya era war boat