The chronicles, as well as illustrations at the Angkor Wat complex, indicate that Ramkhamhaeng's Tai army included a colorful mixture of cavalry and elephants, with well-organized infantry and tactical rigor. The Tais had been exposed for many centuries to both Chinese and Nanchao discipline and had in many cases served (or been forced to serve) in Nanchao armies. The added discipline and organization that they obtained from these experiences contributed significantly to their ability to displace the indigenous peoples of Thailand from homes that they had held in many cases since before recorded history.

The Phra Racha Wang Derm Restoration Foundation Committee at the Wang Derm Palace provides details on Thai weapons dating as far back as 700 years - in other words to the Sukothai period. Considerable evidence has been provided by archaeology on Sukothai, in part because it has been possible to focus on areas of known interest such as the ceramics works of Phitsanulok and Sawankhalok.

The weapons depicted include stabbing and shooting weapons and armor of various kinds. Shooting weapons included bows and light crossbows which may still be seen in some tribal villages in north Thailand and Laos and are used in hunting. A form of light spear is also considered to be a missile weapon. Spears themselves were in excess of two meters in length and could be both with or without a hilt. Their heads are long and thin and could in some case perhaps be used in slashing attacks as well as stabbing attacks. Lances are described as being in use by cavalry. One form of lance has a hook at one end for controlling elephants. It is unlikely that the indigenous people had horse archers in any number, although Tais may have had some exposure to these types of troops. In any case, it should be remembered that most territory in the central Chao Phraya area was still marshy during this period and heavily forested. It was not very suitable terrain for skirmishing cavalry.

The Thai sword is perhaps the most well-known and enduring weapon from this period. It is composed of a handle, hilt and blade and has the distinctive Southeast Asian curved machete style which is generally used one handed but can be used two-handed, in the same way that a tennis racquet may be.

Protective equipment included the dang, which was a hand held shield of approximately the same shape as a sword and used to block or parry slashing or stabbing attacks. It could be up to one meter in length and was made from wood.

The khen was a round shield of woven wicker, hide or metal with a raised middle that would be probably be more effective against missile attacks.

The loh was a rectangular shaped shield of rectangular shape that was widely distributed throughout armies. It was made of animal hide and could have been decorated individually. The tobtoo was a type of body armor that was wrapped around the torso.

The kwak was a type of caltrop made of sharpened iron or pottery and strewn in front of the enemy.

Tais were subject to corvée labor and so all men of military age would be required to present themselves for service which might be manual labor in construction or else campaigning. Most troops would, therefore, be infantry, some of which would be armed with spears and probably organized enough to be considered regular infantry. Others would be skirmishers with bows, light crossbows and throwing spears. Allied troops from sub-states would be less likely to have regular spear-armed infantry. Cavalry were important for their speed in raiding and for scouting and communications; however, they were far less numerous than the infantry and only a few figures or elements should be represented in a tabletop army. They would be better represented as cavalry or riders rather than light horse.

Elephants of course were an important part of any army. Leaders would have their own elephants with up to four other people on board to control the creature or to fend off attackers. Elephants are divided into three categories depending on size: kings would be permitted the largest size elephants; lesser nobles were permitted the second-largest sized elephants and other warriors would have the smallest elephants. Individual elephant-back combat is an important part of the description of any battle and provision for it should be provided for in any scenario. It would match the spirit of the chronicles describing battles if games permitted individual combat between rival elephant-borne leaders, without interference from the rest of the armies involved.

Villagers and non-regular combatants might be able to defend themselves with rudimentary martial arts manoeuvres and with sharpened bamboo spears and missiles. There is reason to think that poisons and magical potions (of various degrees of efficacy, presumably) were also employed. Warriors would wear tattoos and charms or white vests (singlets) embroidered with sacred symbols with a view to making them invulnerable.

The famous illustrations of the Syam Kuk at Angkor were considered to be the first instances of visual representations of the Thais but this is now considered unlikely given what we now know of the Thai armies and they are more likely to be representations of some allied tribal troops, perhaps from Laos (Groslier, 1981). In any case, the illustrations are excellent representations of those tribal troops.

The terrain in northern and central Thailand was wetter than it is today – lakes were still drying out in the area in the modern era. Much of the ground should be considered wet or swampy, with waterways interspersed with some jungle and mountainous areas. Little of the battlefield could be considered good going, even near to built up areas, since agricultural land was converted to wet-rice paddy fields – anyone who has tried to wade through such a field will know how difficult it can be. Battles were nearly always fought near the towns or villages that held the potential slaves that motivated the war in the first place. These could be depicted with wooden houses on stilts, a wat (temple) among the houses and a wooden palisade surrounding the town. Larger towns would have connecting canal waterways and most people used small boats for transport. Rice fields would have the occasional buffalo group.

There are not many sources of figures for Thai armies but those representing Khmers or Chams could also be used. Irregular has a decent range in 15mm and, although not everyone appreciates their quality, most people agree that they paint up very nicely, not that you would know it from my efforts.

References

Choltira Satyawadhna, “Ethnic Inter-Relationship in the History of Lanna: Reconsidering the Lwa Role in the Lanna Scenario,” Tai Culture, Vol.2, No.2 (December, 1997), pp.6-29.

Dhida Saraya, (Sri) Dvaravati: The Initial Phase of Siam’s History (Bangkok: Muang Boran Publishing House, 1999), translated by Abhassara Charubha.

Groslier, Bernard-Philippe, "Les Syam Kuk des bas-reliefs d'Angkor Vat," in Orients pour George Condominas, (Paris: Sudestasie / Privat, 1981), pp.107-26.

Pornpilai Lertwicha, "Village Community Networks for Self-Sufficiency in Southern Thailand," in Akira Nozaki and Chris Baker, eds., Village Communities, States, and Traders: Essays in Honour of Chatthip Nartsupha (Bangkok: Thai-Japanese Seminar and Sangsan Publishing House, 2003), pp.126-33.

Rogers, Peter, Northeast Thailand: from Prehistoric to Modern Times (Bangkok: Suk Soongswang Editions, 1996). Sunait Chutintaranond, "Mergui and Tenasserim as Leading Port Cities in the Context of Autonomous History," in Kennon Breazale, ed., From Japan to Arabia: Ayutthaya's Relations with Asia (Bangkok: The Foundation for the Promotion of Social Sciences and Humanities Textbooks Project, 1999), pp.104-18.

Wang Derm Palace Foundation Restoration Committee, information available at: http://www.wangdermpalace.com/exhibition/weapon/index_eng.html

Wyatt, David K. and Aroonrut Wichienkeeo, The Chiang Mai Chronicle, second edition (Chiang Mai: Silkworm Books, 1998).

Wyatt, David K. Thailand: A Short History (Chiang Mai: Silkworm Books, 1984).

Wyatt, David K., “Contextual Arguments for the Authenticity of the Ramkhamhaeng Inscription,” in David K. Wyatt, Studies in Thai History (Chiang Mai: Silkworm Books, 1994), pp.48-58.

Ramkhamhaeng of Thailand His Military Career

Introduction and Background
Ramkhamhaeng Rule
Ramkhamhaeng Army