For the fifth consecutive year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has organised English training courses at the British Council in Bangkok during 26 September – 16 October 2016 for 65 Thai military officers preparing to participate in United Nations peacekeeping operations.

The English training courses constituted 2 curriculums: one designed for preparing future peacekeepers to be deployed in UN peacekeeping missions, while the other was designed for officers who already have experience in UN peacekeeping missions abroad and are now serving as trainers for the next generation of Thai peacekeepers. After the course, all participants had an examination to evaluate their English knowledge according to an internationally recognised standard to apply for UN peacekeeping missions.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs attaches importance to equipping Thai peacekeepers with the adequate language skills to participate in UN peacekeeping missions. Enhanced communication with other peacekeepers, UN officials and locals would enable Thai peacekeepers to more effectively carry out their duties as outlined in the mission’s mandate, and further strengthen Thailand’s role in UN peace operations.

Thailand has contributed and played an active role in maintaining international peace and security. Since the Kingdom joined the UN in 1946, more than 27,000 Thai military and police officers, men and women, have been deployed and have served in more than 20 UN peacekeeping and related operations worldwide. Presently, Thai military and police officers are still serving in 4 UN peacekeeping missions: UNAMID (Darfur, Sudan); UNMOGIP
(India-Pakistan border); MINUSTAH (Haiti) and UNMISS (South Sudan).