0. Getting started
I did my promotion training as a reservist over 30 days, from 1 to 30 August 2022. I sent in my application in April. That year applications were open from August 2021 to May 2022, but the window can change from year to year.
What is rank and status promotion training?
It's really two kinds of training: one to be promoted in rank, and one to move up in status, from NCO to officer. The reserve career path has four courses:
Battalion Commander course, usually called the major's course. It reopened in 2024 after being closed for a long time.
Company Commander course, usually called the captain's course
Platoon Leader course
NCO-to-Officer course, for non-commissioned officers becoming commissioned officers
Course | Current rank | Rank after the course |
|---|---|---|
Battalion Commander | Acting Captain | Acting Major |
Company Commander | Acting Lieutenant | Acting Captain |
Platoon Leader | Acting Second Lieutenant | Acting Lieutenant |
NCO to Officer | Master Sergeant and other NCO ranks | Acting Second Lieutenant |
1. How to apply
First, find out which Military Circle you belong to.
These used to be called "Army Provincial Units", so you may need to look up which Military Circle your old unit belongs to now. In my case, the order appointing my rank as a reserve officer cadet named the Nakhon Si Thammarat Provincial Unit, which is now part of the 41st Military Circle.
Then contact the personnel and mobilisation section of that Military Circle. Ask when applications open and close, and what the steps are. Each Military Circle does things a little differently, but the process is much the same.
The application pack I got had three sheets: the application form, a checklist of the documents you need, and a physical measurement form.
2. Documents to prepare
2 copies of your most recent rank appointment
2 copies of your national ID card
2 copies of your house registration
An original psychiatric medical certificate, from a government hospital only. Keep a copy for yourself too.
1 one-inch photo (it doesn't have to be in uniform)
2 copies of a consent letter from your employer. This matters a lot if you work in the public sector.
2 copies of your reserve service record (Sor Dor 8), just in case
2 copies of your educational qualifications, just in case. They're required for the NCO-to-Officer course.
The 3 application sheets from the personnel section, fully filled in
I got my psychiatric certificate from King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society. Get yours at least 2 to 3 months before applications close. A classmate of mine used one from Camp Vajiravudh Hospital, which has a psychiatrist, and that was accepted too.
3. How applicants are selected
Your Military Circle only does a rough check of your eligibility, then sends your application to the Territorial Defence Command, which makes the selection. They look at things like the age limit and how long you've held your current rank. The selection changes from year to year and may include a fitness test, an interview or a psychiatric test.
4. Getting ready
Every course takes 30 days, and most people already have a full-time job. So the first thing to sort out is your work, your studies and your family: can you manage them for the whole month? You'll stay in camp for all 30 days without leaving. If you know you can't, turn the training down from the start.
The next thing is your health. If you're not fit enough, don't come either. You'd be leaning on your classmates and could become a burden to others. (Getting promoted alongside your classmates while training less than them: would you be proud of that?) I cover money further down.
5.1 What to bring
Toiletries: soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo (the army hands out some of these)
A razor
A bath sarong or swim shorts, ideally quick-drying. If you don't have one, use the pha khao ma (a Thai cotton wrap) the army gives you.
Washing powder and fabric softener, ideally the kind made for drying indoors. The weather at Camp Thanarat is completely unpredictable.
A washbasin, clothes hangers and pegs. If you don't have them, you can buy them there; just tell your supervising instructor.
Shoe polishing kit
Pyjamas, or just wear the undershirt and sports shorts the army gives you
Underwear: at least 3, though I'd bring 7
A padlock for your locker, if you're bringing anything valuable
Shirt stays, if you have them, to keep your uniform a little sharper
Facial tissues, wet wipes and cotton buds
Basic household medicines, plus your own medication if you have a condition
An extension lead, if you'll be working or helping with class activities
Earplugs. You'll want them for shooting practice.
5.2 What the army gives you
2 sets of training uniform. The insignia aren't sewn on yet on day one; your supervising instructor sorts that out in the first week.
1 beret with cap badge
2 V-neck undershirts
2 pairs of sports shorts
2 pairs each of black and white socks
1 pair of trainers
1 pair of jungle boots. You can bring your own so you don't have to worry about the size. The instructors will find a pair that fits, but one of my bigger classmates only got a pair on the last day of training 🤣 I brought my own combat boots.
1 pair of flip-flops, one size fits all
1 belt with buckle
Washing kit: a water scoop, soap and soap box, toothbrush, toothpaste and a pha khao ma, one of each
You don't need to bring anything else. You can get it there.
6. Getting there
You can get there however suits you:
By public transport: minivan, coach or train (Wang Phong station). Check beforehand whether your route passes the front of Camp Thanarat. When you reach the gate, ask the soldiers on duty how to get in and where to report.
By car. You can park at the camp near the barracks, and leave it near the reporting building for a while first.
7. Documents for reporting day
Your Category 1 reservist record book (the green book with Sor Dor 8 in it). If you don't have one, get a new one from your district recruitment office beforehand. Women don't have this book.
The original call-up order. This one is very important, so bring a copy too.
The other documents from section 2, just in case
8. Costs for the 30 days
The class has shared costs. In my class we each paid 1,500 baht, plus another 237 baht near the end of training, so set aside about 2,000 baht for these. Shared costs are what everyone in the class pays, such as the class shirt, ID photos and the Chinese banquet dinner. Then there are optional extras, such as a class ring or a second class shirt. All in, budget about 8,000 baht.
Each class may handle costs differently.
9. What the training covers
9.1 Week 1
The first week is mostly paperwork, plus refresher drill without weapons and close-order drill. It's when you get used to military discipline.
9.2 Weeks 2 and 3
These two weeks are split by branch, such as infantry, cavalry and artillery. There are lessons in and out of the classroom, and a study visit off site in week 3.
9.3 Week 4
This week you prepare for a 3-day, 2-night field exercise. After it there's a sports competition between instructors and trainees, and the last day is the award and graduation ceremony.
Summary
I hope this helps other reservists going through promotion training. It's a right you have, and for most of us a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Don't do it just to put a smarter rank in front of your name or to show off; that misses the point. Treat it as real experience and as the preparation the Ministry of Defence's regulations ask of us. And you'll probably leave with some good friends.
I wrote this because the information was hard to find and scattered all over the place, so I'm passing on what I learned first-hand. If anything here is wrong, please tell me. I'd be very grateful.
A word of caution
Check the rules carefully before you put any insignia on a uniform. Don't wear honorary insignia, or any insignia you haven't trained for or don't hold a certificate for. It may be against the law, and it makes reservists like us look bad.