8. National Security Policy

Mr. President,

The Government shall honor and protect the authority of His Majesty the King from any violation.

The Government shall develop the national defence system in line with standard national defence approaches, by building awareness and introducing public participation in national defense, improving the preparedness and modernity of the Thai armed forces for greater efficiency and readiness to protect the country’s national sovereignty and interests, and supporting peace-keeping activities in various regions under the auspices of the United Nations. At the same time, the Government will promote the role of the armed forces in national development, and introduce order in the border areas to prepare for situations and problems under both normal and special circumstances.

To solve the problem of illegal immigrants and workers, the Government will aim to check and prevent new entries, set regulations on foreign workers, and strictly suppress illegal immigration, especially movements that have the backing of influential persons, to minimize the size of the problem and its long-term impact on security, together with managing the status and rights of persons with no clear legal status, and appropriately contributing to national development, striking a balance between protection of fundamental rights and protection of national security.

The Government will solve the problem in the southern border provinces by mobilizing resources and improving administration and management according to the principles of understanding, reaching-out, development, and strict law enforcement to achieve peace and safety of life and property in the area at the earliest. The Government is also determined to improve the quality of life and well-being of the people in the area in a sustainable manner by emphasizing the participation of every sector, building national and communal reconciliation, dispensing fairness and justice, strictly eliminating dark influences and corruption by government officials, together with poverty eradication, education development, and economic and social development in line with the special characteristics of the area, way of life, and culture of the people, including cooperating with other countries, especially neighboring countries, in developing, preventing, and solving the problem of transnational crime and disruption of peace in the border areas.

The security situation is a new environment that is important to the country’s economic and social development. The Government will reform intelligence work to be more efficient, including an information system with in-depth economic, social, and security information that can truly be used to prevent and tackle problems, including creating preparedness for crises that are large-scale disasters, both natural and man-made, by giving priority to the establishment of a national center for emergency warning and crisis management, to respond promptly to crises for rapid post-crisis relief and rehabilitation.