First Army has new war room

via CAAI

Published: 13/01/2011

A new, modern war room has been built at the 1st Army Region headquarters as a command post to cope with situations on parts of the border with both Cambodia and Burma, and internal political crises, a military source said.

The 1st Army Area Command is in charge of Bangkok and the Central provinces, including the adjoining Thai-Burmese border in Prachuap Khiri Khan and Kanchanaburi provinces in the west and the lower half of the Thai-Cambodia border, operating out of Prachin Buri. It controls as many as three infantry divisions, plus cavalry and artillery.

The source said the new war room was built on the orders of army commander-in-chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha soon after he assumed the post in October last year.

Army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha

Gen Prayuth is of the opinion that since the 1st Army Region headquarters commands main army units located both in Bangkok and throughout the Central Region, it should have a war room with modern communications equipment, the source said.

The 1st Army Region headquarters is also where army chiefs and senior government figures hold meetings to monitor particular situations and give orders at times of political unrest, and of late especially the activities of protesters of different colour codes.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who is in charge of security affairs, frequently used the First Army headquarters in Bangkok as a situation monitoring centre.

The new war room is located on the 5th floor of the 1st Army Region headquarters. It has remote conference satellite connections with all border defence forces, including the Burapa Task Force responsible for part of the Thai-Cambodian border.

Many top brass attended a function marking the 101st anniversary of the establishment of the 1st Army today and visited the new war room. They included Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, Gen Prayuth, former army chief and 1st Army region commander Gen Anupong Paojinda, and privy councillor Gen Pijit Kullavanijaya.

They were received by Lt-Gen Udomdet Seetabut, the current 1st Army Region commander.