Why the ‘Royal Thai Army’ Doesn’t Have the Word ‘Royal’ in Thai

The other day, one of my students — who works at the Ministry of Defence — asked me a seemingly simple question: “What is the Royal Thai Army in Thai?’ I answered, “กองทัพบกแห่งประเทศไทย” (gāwng-t^háb-bòk hàeng bprà-t^hâed Thāi), and expected the conversation to end there. But then she asked: “Why doesn’t it have the word ‘Royal’ in it?”

At that moment, I had to admit I didn’t know the answer. It wasn’t something I’d ever thought about before — simple because no one had ever asked me that question. But questions like these are exactly why I love teaching. They make you stop, think, and look more closely at the language. So, after some reflection, I realised the answer isn’t really about the word ‘royal’ at all — it’s about how Thai expresses authority, belonging, and formality.

This is where the word แห่ง (hàeng) comes in.

In formal Thai, แห่ง (hàeng) is often used to mean ‘of’ or ‘belonging to’, especially in the names of national or government-level institutions. It gives a phrase an official, authoritative tone and clearly this the organisation to the nation itself. So, when we say “กองทัพบกแห่งประเทศไทย” (gāwng-t^háb-bòk hàeng bprà-t^hâed Thāi), the literal meaning is ‘Army of Thailand’. The emphasis is on national ownership and state authority, rather than on a descriptive title.

We see the same structure in many official terms:

• กองทัพบกแห่งประเทศไทย (gāwng-t^háb-bòk hàeng bprà-t^hâed Thāi) = Royal Thai Army (literal: Army of Thailand)

• กองทัพเรือแห่งประเทศไทย (gāwng-t^háb-rēua hàeng bprà-t^hâed Thāi) = Royal Thai Navy (literal: Navy of Thailand)

• กองทัพอากาศแห่งประเทศไทย (gāwng-t^háb-āa-gāad hàeng bprà-t^hâed Thāi) = Royal Thai Air Force (literal: Air Force of Thailand)

• สภาผู้แทนราษฎรแห่งชาติ (sà-p^hāa p^hôo-t^hāen râad-sà-dōrn hàeng châad) = House of Representatives of Thailand (literal: Council Representatives People of the Nation)

• โรงพยาบาลแห่งชาติ (rōng-p^há-yāa-bāan hàeng châad) = National Hospital (literal: Hospital of the Nation)

• พิพิธภัณฑ์แห่งชาติ (p^hí-p^híd-t^há-p^hān hàeng châad) = National Museum (literal: Museum of the Nation)

• หอสมุดแห่งชาติ (hǎw-sà-^hmùd hàeng châad) = National Library (literal: Library of the Nation)

• สถาบันวิจัยแห่งชาติ (sà-t^hǎa-bān wí-jāi hàeng châad) = National Research Institute (literal: Institute Research of the Nation)

• ธนาคารแห่งประเทศไทย (gāwng-t^háb-bòk hàeng bprà-t^hâed Thāi) = Bank of Thailand (literal: Bank of Thailand)

• อุทยานแห่งชาติ (ùd-t^há-yāan hàeng châad) = National Park (literal: Park of the Nation)

In the case of the military, the word ‘royal’ appears in English naming conventions often make the connection to the monarchy explicit. In Thai, that connection is already understood and doesn’t need to be stated directly.

In other words, Thai doesn’t always say things loudly. It often says them formally, structurally, and implicitly — and แห่ง (hàeng) is one of those small but powerful words that quietly signals: ‘this belongs to the nation’.

About Post Author

Urai Khomkham

Hi, I’m Urai Khomkham, a Thai language teacher and the creator of Thai Language Tuition UK. I help learners understand how Thai really works, so they can stop guessing and start feeling confident using the language in real life. Inside the community, I share clear lessons, practical explanations, and gentle guidance to support steady, meaningful progress — without pressure or overwhelm. I also share free Thai lessons and learning tips on my YouTube channel, where I break things down step by step and help you build strong foundations at your own pace. By subscribing, you’re not only supporting your own learning — you’re also helping me continue creating free resources to support you and other learners on their Thai journey.

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