British Ambassador to Thailand joined the opening ceremony of Ex Panther Gold 21

On 14th March, H.E. Mr. Mark Gooding, British Ambassador to Thailand, and General Supachok Tawatpeerachai, Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, presided over the opening ceremony of Ex Panther Gold 21 at the 3rd Army Area in Phetchabun province. The bilateral exercise aims to develop capabilities and understanding in training processes and infantry tactics between the UK and Thailand.

Ex Panther Gold 21, the biggest defence engagement activity between the UK and Thailand this year, demonstrates the close defence and security relationship between the two nations. The exercise programme comprises two main activities which are Cross Training Exercises (CTX) where the combined armed forces learn how to master their skills in martial arts, jungle survival and weapon familiarisation, and Field Training Exercises (FTX) which enable all personnel to develop competences including close target reconnaissance and contact drills.

Ex Panther Gold 21 is being conducted from 14th March to 1st April with 120 personnel deployed from 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards of the British Armed Forces, along with 160 personnel from the 3rd Cavalry Regiment and Security Battalion of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. This joint collaboration will provide an opportunity for the two defence establishments to deepen their military ties through sharing experiences and lessons from previous deployments.

Mark Gooding, British Ambassdor to Thailand said:

Ex Panther Gold provides an excellent opportunity not just for our soldiers to learn valuable military lessons from each other, but also to deepen the longstanding friendly relationship and the mutual respect that our nations share

General Supachok Tawatpeerachai, Deputy Chief of Defence Forces said:

This exercise is the symbol of good cooperation and relationship of our two armed forces. I hope that all of the exercise participants can gain a lot of experiences from this exercise.

Background

• Panther Gold is classified as a combined military exercise between the British Defence Forces and the Royal Thai Armed Forces initiated in 2017.
• The first Panther Gold took place in Kanchanaburi province in 2017, followed by Panther Gold 19 in Nakhon Ratchasima province in 2019.